Matthew 27 commentary

Wicked men see little of the consequences of their crimes when they commit them, but they must answer for them all. In the fullest manner Judas acknowledged to the chief priests that he had sinned, and betrayed an innocent person. This was full testimony to the character of Christ; but the rulers were hardened. Casting down the money, Judas departed, and went and hanged himself, not being able to bear the terror of Divine wrath, and the anguish of despair. There is little doubt but that the death of Judas was before that of our blessed Lord. But was it nothing to them that they had thirsted after this blood, and hired Judas to betray it, and had condemned it to be shed unjustly? Thus do fools make a mock at sin. Thus many make light of Christ crucified. And it is a common instance of the deceitfulness of our hearts, to make light of our own sin by dwelling upon other people's sins. But the judgment of God is according to truth. Many apply this passage of the buying the piece of ground, with the money Judas brought back, to signify the favour intended by the blood of Christ to strangers, and sinners of the Gentiles. It fulfilled a prophecy, Zec 11:12. Judas went far toward repentance, yet it was not to salvation. He confessed, but not to God; he did not go to him, and say, I have sinned, Father, against heaven. Let none be satisfied with such partial convictions as a man may have, and yet remain full of pride, enmity, and rebellion.

Having no malice against Jesus, Pilate urged him to clear himself, and laboured to get him discharged. The message from his wife was a warning. God has many ways of giving checks to sinners, in their sinful pursuits, and it is a great mercy to have such checks from Providence, from faithful friends, and from our own consciences. O do not this abominable thing which the Lord hates! is what we may hear said to us, when we are entering into temptation, if we will but regard it. Being overruled by the priests, the people made choice of Barabbas. Multitudes who choose the world, rather than God, for their ruler and portion, thus choose their own delusions. The Jews were so bent upon the death of Christ, that Pilate thought it would be dangerous to refuse. And this struggle shows the power of conscience even on the worst men. Yet all was so ordered to make it evident that Christ suffered for no fault of his own, but for the sins of his people. How vain for Pilate to expect to free himself from the guilt of the innocent blood of a righteous person, whom he was by his office bound to protect! The Jews' curse upon themselves has been awfully answered in the sufferings of their nation. None could bear the sin of others, except Him that had no sin of his own to answer for. And are we not all concerned? Is not Barabbas preferred to Jesus, when sinners reject salvation that they may retain their darling sins, which rob God of his glory, and murder their souls? The blood of Christ is now upon us for good, through mercy, by the Jews' rejection of it. O let us flee to it for refuge!

Crucifixion was a death used only among the Romans; it was very terrible and miserable. A cross was laid on the ground, to which the hands and feet were nailed, it was then lifted up and fixed upright, so that the weight of the body hung on the nails, till the sufferer died in agony. Christ thus answered the type of the brazen serpent raised on a pole. Christ underwent all the misery and shame here related, that he might purchase for us everlasting life, and joy, and glory.

Christ was led as a Lamb to the slaughter, as a Sacrifice to the altar. Even the mercies of the wicked are really cruel. Taking the cross from him, they compelled one Simon to bear it. Make us ready, O Lord, to bear the cross thou hast appointed us, and daily to take it up with cheerfulness, following thee. Was ever sorrow like unto his sorrow? And when we behold what manner of death he died, let us in that behold with what manner of love he loved us. As if death, so painful a death, were not enough, they added to its bitterness and terror in several ways.

It was usual to put shame upon malefactors, by a writing to notify the crime for which they suffered. So they set up one over Christ's head. This they designed for his reproach, but God so overruled it, that even his accusation was to his honour. There were crucified with him at the same time, two robbers. He was, at his death, numbered among the transgressors, that we, at our death, might be numbered among the saints. The taunts and jeers he received are here recorded. The enemies of Christ labour to make others believe that of religion and of the people of God, which they themselves know to be false. The chief priests and scribes, and the elders, upbraid Jesus with being the King of Israel. Many people could like the King of Israel well enough, if he would but come down from the cross; if they could but have his kingdom without the tribulation through which they must enter into it. But if no cross, then no Christ, no crown. Those that would reign with him, must be willing to suffer with him. Thus our Lord Jesus, having undertaken to satisfy the justice of God, did it, by submitting to the punishment of the worst of men. And in every minute particular recorded about the sufferings of Christ, we find some prediction in the Prophets or the Psalms fulfilled.

During the three hours which the darkness continued, Jesus was in agony, wrestling with the powers of darkness, and suffering his Father's displeasure against the sin of man, for which he was now making his soul an offering. Never were there three such hours since the day God created man upon the earth, never such a dark and awful scene; it was the turning point of that great affair, man's redemption and salvation. Jesus uttered a complaint from Ps 22:1. Hereby he teaches of what use the word of God is to direct us in prayer, and recommends the use of Scripture expressions in prayer. The believer may have tasted some drops of bitterness, but he can only form a very feeble idea of the greatness of Christ's sufferings. Yet, hence he learns something of the Saviour's love to sinners; hence he gets deeper conviction of the vileness and evil of sin, and of what he owes to Christ, who delivers him from the wrath to come. His enemies wickedly ridiculed his complaint. Many of the reproaches cast upon the word of God and the people of God, arise, as here, from gross mistakes. Christ, just before he expired, spake in his full strength, to show that his life was not forced from him, but was freely delivered into his Father's hands. He had strength to bid defiance to the powers of death: and to show that by the eternal Spirit he offered himself, being the Priest as well as the Sacrifice, he cried with a loud voice. Then he yielded up the ghost. The Son of God upon the cross, did die by the violence of the pain he was put to. His soul was separated from his body, and so his body was left really and truly dead. It was certain that Christ did die, for it was needful that he should die. He had undertaken to make himself an offering for sin, and he did it when he willingly gave up his life.

The rending of the veil signified that Christ, by his death, opened a way to God. We have an open way through Christ to the throne of grace, or mercy-seat now, and to the throne of glory hereafter. When we duly consider Christ's death, our hard and rocky hearts should be rent; the heart, and not the garments. That heart is harder than a rock that will not yield, that will not melt, where Jesus Christ is plainly set forth crucified. The graves were opened, and many bodies of saints which slept, arose. To whom they appeared, in what manner, and how they disappeared, we are not told; and we must not desire to be wise above what is written. The dreadful appearances of God in his providence, sometimes work strangely for the conviction and awakening of sinners. This was expressed in the terror that fell upon the centurion and the Roman soldiers. We may reflect with comfort on the abundant testimonies given to the character of Jesus; and, seeking to give no just cause of offence, we may leave it to the Lord to clear our characters, if we live to Him. Let us, with an eye of faith, behold Christ and him crucified, and be affected with that great love wherewith he loved us. But his friends could give no more than a look; they beheld him, but could not help him. Never were the horrid nature and effects of sin so tremendously displayed, as on that day when the beloved Son of the Father hung upon the cross, suffering for sin, the Just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God. Let us yield ourselves willingly to his service.

In the burial of Christ was nothing of pomp or solemnity. As Christ had not a house of his own, wherein to lay his head, while he lived, so he had not a grave of his own, wherein to lay his body, when he was dead. Our Lord Jesus, who had no sin of his own, had no grave of his own. The Jews designed that he should have made his grave with the wicked, should have been buried with the thieves with whom he was crucified, but God overruled it, so that he should make it with the rich in his death, Isa 53:9. And although to the eye of man the beholding a funeral may cause terror, yet if we remember how Christ by his burial has changed the nature of the grave to believers, it should make us rejoice. And we are ever to imitate Christ's burial in being continually occupied in the spiritual burial of our sins.

On the Jewish sabbath, the chief priests and Pharisees, when they should have been at their devotions, were dealing with Pilate about securing the sepulchre. This was permitted that there might be certain proof of our Lord's resurrection. Pilate told them that they might secure the sepulchre as carefully as they could. They sealed the stone, and set a guard, and were satisfied that all needful care was taken. But to guard the sepulchre against the poor weak disciples was folly, because needless; while to think to guard it against the power of God, was folly, because fruitless, and to no purpose; yet they thought they dealt wisely. But the Lord took the wise in their own craftiness. Thus shall all the rage and the plans of Christ's enemies be made to promote his glory.

Matthew 27:1. But when it was morning. The high priest, with his council, after having examined him at an unseasonable hour of the night, finally resolve, at sunrise, to place him at the bar of the governor. By so doing, they observe the form of judicial proceedings, that they may not be suspected of undue haste, when they run to Pilate at an unusually early hour, as usually happens in cases of tumult. But it is probable, that when Christ had been led away from their council, they immediately held a consultation, and, without long delay, resolved what they would do; for we have been already told at what time Christ went out from them and met Peter, which was after the cock-crowing, and just as day was breaking. The Evangelists, therefore, do not mean that they removed from the place, “Du lieu ou ils avoyent esté assemblez la nuict;” — “from the place where they had been assembled during the night.” but only relate, that as soon as it was daylight, they condemned Christ to death, and did not lose a moment in earnestly putting into execution their wicked design. What Luke formerly stated, (22:66,) that they assembled in the morning, ought not to be explained as referring to the very beginning, but to the last act, which is immediately added: as if he had said, that as soon as it was day, our Lord having acknowledged that he was the Son of God, they pronounced their sentence of his death. Now if they had been permitted to decide in taking away life, they would all have been eager, in their fury, to murder him with their own hands; but as Pilate had cognizance of capital crimes, they are constrained to refer the matter to his jurisdiction; only they entangle him by their own previous decision. “C’est à dire, de l’avis qu’ils en avoyent desja donné en leur conseil;” — “that is to say, by the opinion which they had already given respecting him in their council.” For the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7:59) took place in a seditious manner, as happens in cases of tumult; but it was proper that the Son of God should be solemnly condemned by an earthly judge, that he might efface our condemnation in heaven.

3. Then Judas, perceiving that he was condemned. By this adverb (τότε) then, Matthew does not fix the exact point of time; for we shall find him shortly afterwards adding, that Judas, when he saw that the priests disdainfully refused to take back the reward of his treason, threw it down in the temple. But from the house of Caiaphas they came straight to the Pretorium, and stood there until Christ was condemned. It can scarcely be supposed that they were found in the temple on that day; but as the Evangelist was speaking of the rage and madness of the council, he inserted also the death of Judas, by which their blind obstinacy, and the hardness of their hearts like iron, were more fully displayed.

He says that Judas repented; not that he reformed, but that the crime which he had committed gave him uneasiness; as God frequently opens the eyes of the reprobate, so as to begin to feel their miseries, and to be alarmed at them. For those who are sincerely grieved so as to reform, are said not only (μεταμελεῖν), The import of those Greek words is brought out more fully in our Author’s French version. “Car ceux qui sont vrayement desplaisans pour s’amender, non seulement cognoissent leurs fautes, mais aussi changent de courage, ce qui est bien ici exprimé;” — “for those who are truly dissatisfied with themselves so as to reform, not only know their faults, but also have the resolution to amend, which is well expressed here.” He then goes on to say that Matthew attributes to Judas “une repentance que les Grecs nomment μεταμέλεια, qui est forcee, et laisse l’homme tout abruti; non pas celle qu’ils nomment μετάνοια, qui est un vraye conversation de l’homme à Dieu;” — “a repentance which the Greeks call metameleia, (μεταμέλεια,) which is forced, and leaves the man altogether brutish; not that which they call metanoia, (μετάνοια,) which is a true conversion of the man to God.” but, also (μετανοεῖν), The import of those Greek words is brought out more fully in our Author’s French version. “Car ceux qui sont vrayement desplaisans pour s’amender, non seulement cognoissent leurs fautes, mais aussi changent de courage, ce qui est bien ici exprimé;” — “for those who are truly dissatisfied with themselves so as to reform, not only know their faults, but also have the resolution to amend, which is well expressed here.” He then goes on to say that Matthew attributes to Judas “une repentance que les Grecs nomment μεταμέλεια, qui est forcee, et laisse l’homme tout abruti; non pas celle qu’ils nomment μετάνοια, qui est un vraye conversation de l’homme à Dieu;” — “a repentance which the Greeks call metameleia, (μεταμέλεια,) which is forced, and leaves the man altogether brutish; not that which they call metanoia, (μετάνοια,) which is a true conversion of the man to God.” from which is derived also (μετάνοια), The import of those Greek words is brought out more fully in our Author’s French version. “Car ceux qui sont vrayement desplaisans pour s’amender, non seulement cognoissent leurs fautes, mais aussi changent de courage, ce qui est bien ici exprimé;” — “for those who are truly dissatisfied with themselves so as to reform, not only know their faults, but also have the resolution to amend, which is well expressed here.” He then goes on to say that Matthew attributes to Judas “une repentance que les Grecs nomment μεταμέλεια, qui est forcee, et laisse l’homme tout abruti; non pas celle qu’ils nomment μετάνοια, qui est un vraye conversation de l’homme à Dieu;” — “a repentance which the Greeks call metameleia, (μεταμέλεια,) which is forced, and leaves the man altogether brutish; not that which they call metanoia, (μετάνοια,) which is a true conversion of the man to God.” which is a true conversion of the soul to God. So then, Judas conceived disgust and horror, not so as to turn to God, but rather that, being overwhelmed with despair, he might serve as an example of a man entirely shut out from the grace of God. Justly, indeed, does Paul say, that the sorrow which leads to repentance is salutary, (2 Corinthians 7:10;) but if a man stumble at the very threshold, he will derive no advantage from a confused and mistaken grief. What is more, this is a just punishment with which God at length visits the wicked, who have obstinately despised his judgment, that he gives them up to Satan to be tormented without the hope of consolation.

True repentance is displeasure at sin, arising out of fear and reverence for God, and producing, at the same time, a love and desire of righteousness. Wicked men are far from such a feeling; for they would desire to sin without intermission, and even, as far as lies in their power, they endeavor to deceive both God and their own conscience, “Et Dieu, et leur propre conscience.” but notwithstanding their reluctance and opposition, they are tormented with blind horror by their conscience, so that, though they do not hate their sin, still they feel, with sorrow and distress, that it presses heavily and painfully upon them. This is the reason why their grief is useless; for they do not cheerfully turn to God, or even aim at doing better, but, being attached to their wicked desires, they pine away in torment, which they cannot escape. In this way, as I have just said, God punishes their obstinacy; for although his elect are drawn to him by severe chastisements, and as it were contrary to their will, yet he heals in due time the wounds which he has inflicted, so that they come cheerfully to him, by whose hand they acknowledge that they are struck, and by whose wrath they are alarmed. The former, therefore, while they have no hatred to sin, not only dread, but fly from the judgment of God, and thus, having received an incurable wound, they perish in the midst of their sorrows.

If Judas had listened to the warning of Christ, there would still have been place for repentance; but since he despised so gracious an offer of salvation, he is given up to the dominion of Satan, that he may throw him into despair. But if the Papists were right in what they teach in their schools about repentance, we could find no defect in that of Judas, to which their definition of repentance fully applies; for we perceive in it contrition of heart, and confession of the mouth, and satisfaction of deed, as they talk. Hence we infer, that they take nothing more than the bark; for they leave out what was the chief point, the conversion of the man to God, when the sinner, broken down by shame and fear, denies himself so as to render obedience to righteousness.

4. What is that to us? Here is described the stupidity and madness of the priests, since even after having been warned by the dreadful example of Judas, still they do not think about themselves. I do acknowledge that hypocrites, as they are accustomed to flatter themselves, had some plausible excuse at hand for distinguishing between their case and that of Judas; for they did not think that they were partakers of his crime, though they abused the treachery of Judas. But Judas not only confesses that he has sinned, but asserts the innocence of Christ; from which it follows, that they had meditated the death of a righteous man, and, therefore, that they were guilty of a detestable murder. Nor is there any room to doubt that God intended to sear their consciences with a hot iron, to discover the hidden corruption. Let us therefore learn, that when we see wicked persons, with whom we have any thing in common, filled with alarm, those are so many excitements to repentance, and that they who neglect such excitements aggravate their criminality. We ought also to believe, that the crime of one man can have no effect in acquitting all those who are in any way involved in it; and still more, that the leading perpetrators of a crime can gain no advantage by distinguishing between themselves and their agents, that they may not suffer the same punishment.

5. And he went away, and strangled himself. This is the price for which Satan sells the allurements by which he flatters wicked men for a time. He throws them into a state of fury, so that, voluntarily cutting themselves off from the hope of salvation, they find no consolation but in death. Though others would have permitted Judas to enjoy the thirty pieces of silver, by which he had betrayed Christ and his own salvation, he throws them down, and not only deprives himself of the use of them, but, along with the base reward of the death of Christ, he throws away also his own life. Thus, though God does not put forth his hand, wicked men are disappointed of their desires, so that, when they have obtained their wishes, they not only deprive themselves of the enjoyment of unsatisfying benefits, but even make cords for themselves. But though they are their own executioners by punishing themselves, they do not in any respect alleviate or diminish the severity of the wrath of God.

6. It is not lawful for us to throw it into the treasury. Hence it plainly appears that hypocrites, by attending to nothing more than the outward appearance, are guilty of gross trifling with God. Provided that they do not violate their Corban, (Mark 7:11,) they imagine that in other matters they are pure, and give themselves no concern about the infamous bargain, by which they, not less than Judas, had provoked against themselves the vengeance of God. But if it was unlawful to put into the sacred treasury the price of blood, why was it lawful for them to take the money out of it? for all their wealth was derived from the offerings of the temple, and from no other source did they take what they now scruple to mingle again with it as being polluted. Now, whence came the pollution but from themselves?

8. For a burying-place to strangers. The more that wicked men endeavor to conceal their enormities, the more does the Lord watch over them to bring those enormities to light. They hoped that, by an honorable disguise, they would bury their crime, were they to purchase a barren field for burying strangers. But the wonderful providence of God turns this arrangement to an opposite result, so that this field became a perpetual memorial of that treason, which had formerly been little known. For it was not themselves that gave this name to the place, but after the occurrence was generally known, the field was called, by common consent, The field of blood; as if God had commanded that their disgrace should be in every man’s mouth. It was a plausible design to provide a burying-place for strangers, if any of those who came up to Jerusalem from distant countries, for the purpose of sacrificing, should happen to die there. As some of them were of the Gentiles, I do not disapprove of the opinion of some ancient writers, that this symbol held out the hope of salvation to the Gentiles, because they were included in the price of the death of Christ; but as that opinion is more ingenious than solid, I leave it undetermined. The word corbana, (treasury,) is Chaldaic, and is derived from the Hebrew word (קרבן), (corban,) of which we have spoken elsewhere.

9. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet. How the name of Jeremiah crept in, I confess that I do not know nor do I give myself much trouble to inquire. The passage itself plainly shows that the name of Jeremiah has been put down by mistake, instead of Zechariah, (11:13;) for in Jeremiah we find nothing of this sort, nor any thing that even approaches to it. Now that other passage, if some degree of skill be not used in applying it, might seem to have been improperly distorted to a wrong meaning; but if we attend to the rule which the apostles followed in quoting Scripture, we shall easily perceive that what we find there is highly applicable to Christ. The Lord, after having complained that his labors were of no avail, so long as he discharged the office of a shepherd, says that he is compelled by the troublesome and unpleasant nature of the employment to relinquish it altogether, and, therefore, declares that he will break his crook, and will be a shepherd no longer. He afterwards adds, that when he asked his salary, they gave him thirty pieces of silver. The import of these words is, that he was treated quite contemptuously as if he had been some mean and ordinary laborer. For the ceremonies and vain pretenses, by which the Jews recompensed his acts of kindness, are compared by him to thirty pieces of silver, as if they had been the unworthy and despicable hire of a cowherd or a day-laborer; and, therefore, he bids them throw it before a potter in the temple; as if he had said: “As for this fine present which they make to me, which would not be less dishonorable in me to accept than it is contemptuous in them to offer it, let them rather spend it in purchasing tiles or bricks for repairing the chinks of the temple.” To make it still more evident that Christ is the God of armies, towards whom the people had been from the beginning malicious and ungrateful, when he

was manifested in the flesh, (1 Timothy 3:16,)

it became necessary that what had formerly been spoken figuratively should now be literally and visibly accomplished in his person. So, then, when he was compelled by their malice to take leave of them, and to withdraw his labors from them as unworthy of such a privilege, they valued him at thirty pieces of silver. And this disdain of the Son of God was the crowning act of their extreme impiety.

The price of him that was valued. Matthew does not quote the words of Zechariah; for he merely alludes to the metaphor, under which the Lord then complains of the ingratitude of the people. But the meaning is the same, that while the Jews ought to have entirely devoted themselves, and all that they possessed, to the Lord, they contemptuously dismissed him with a mean hire; as if, by governing them for so many ages, he had deserved nothing more than any cowherd would have received for the labors of a single year. He complains, therefore, that though he is beyond all estimation, he was rated by them at so low a price.

Whom they of the children of Israel did value. This expression, which he uses towards the close, must be taken in a general sense. Judas had struck a bargain with the priests, who were the avowed representatives of the whole people; so that it was the Jews who set up Christ for sale, and he was sold, as it were, by the voice of the public crier. The price was such as was fit to be given to a potter.

10. As the Lord appointed me. By this clause Matthew confirms the statement, that this was not done without the providence of God; because, while they have a different object in view, they unconsciously fulfill an ancient prediction. For how could it have occurred to them to purchase a field from a potter, if the Lord had not turned their blameworthy conduct so as to carry into execution his own purpose?

MATTHEW 27:11-14; MARK 15:2-5; LUKE 23:2-12

Matthew 27:11-14

Mark 15:2-5

Luke 23:2-12

11. Now Jesus stood “Or Jesus fut amené devant le gouverneur.” — “Now Jesus was brought before the governor.” before the governor. And the governor asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? Jesus saith to him, Thou sayest it. “Tu le dis.” 12. And when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, and he answered nothing. 13. Then Pilate saith to him, Hearest thou not how many things they testify against thee? “Combien de tesmoignages ils amenent contre-toy?” — “how many testimonies they produce against thee?” 14. And he did not answer him a single word, so that the governor was greatly astonished.

2. And Pilate asked him, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answering said to him, Thou sayest it. “Tu le dis.” 3. And the chief priests accused him of many things. 4. And Pilate again asked him, saying, Answerest thou nothing? Lo, how many things do they testify against thee? “Combien de tesmoignages ils amenent contre-toy?” — “how many testimonies they produce against thee?” 5. But Jesus again answered nothing, so that the governor wondered.

2. And they began to accuse him saying, We have found this man subverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying, that he is the Christ, a King. 3. And Pilate asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answering said to him, Thou sayest it. “Tu le dis.” 4. And Pilate said to the chief priests and to the multitudes, I find no fault in this man. 5. But they persisted, saying, He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout the whole of Judea, beginning from Galilee even to this place. 6. And when Pilate heard mention made of Galilee, he asked if the man was a Galilean. 7. And as soon as he learned that he belonged to Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who also was at Jerusalem at that time. 8. And when Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad; for he had long cherished a desire to see him, because had heard many things concerning him; and he hoped that he would see some miracle “Quelque signer, ou, miracle;” — “some sign, or, miracle.” wrought by him. 9. And he asked him in many words; but he made no reply to him. 10. And the chief priests and scribes stood, and vehemently accused him. 11. But Herod, with his attendants, despised him; and having mocked him, sent him back to Pilate clothed with a shining “D’un vestement blanc, ou, reluysant;” — “with a white (or, shining) robe.” robe. 12. And came friend; for previously they had been at enmity with each other.

Matthew 27:11. Now Jesus stood before the governor. Though it was a shocking exhibition, and highly incompatible with the majesty of the Son of God, to be dragged before the judgment-seat of a profane man, to be tried on the charge of a capital offense, as a malefactor in chains; yet we ought to remember that; our salvation consists in the doctrine of the cross, which is

folly to the Greeks, and an offense to the Jews, (1 Corinthians 1:23.)

For the Son of God chose to stand bound before an earthly judge, and there to receive sentence of death, “Et là estre traitté comme un criminel digne de mort;” — “and there to be reated as a criminal worthy of death.” in order that we, delivered from condemnation, may not fear to approach freely to the heavenly throne of God. If, therefore, we consider what advantage we reap from Christ having been tried before Pilate, the disgrace of so unworthy a subjection will be immediately washed away. And certainly none are offended at the condemnation of Christ, “De la condamnation à laquelle Christ s’est soumis;” — “at the condemnation to which Christ submitted.” but those who are either proud hypocrites, or stupid and gross despisers of God, who are not ashamed of their own iniquity.

So then, the Son of God stood, as a criminal, before a mortal man, and there permitted himself to be accused and condemned, that we may stand boldly before God. His enemies, indeed, endeavored to fasten upon him everlasting infamy; but we ought rather to look at the end to which the providence of God directs us. For if we recollect how dreadful is the judgment-seat of God, and that we could never have been acquitted there, unless Christ had been pronounced to be guilty on earth, we shall never be ashamed of glorying in his chains. Again, whenever we hear that Christ stood before Pilate with a sad and dejected countenance, let us draw from it grounds of confidence, that, relying on him as our intercessor, we may come into the presence of God with joy and alacrity. To the same purpose is what immediately follows: he did not answer him a single word. Christ was silent, while the priests were pressing upon him on every hand; and it was, in order that he might open our mouth by his silence. For hence arises that distinguished privilege of which Paul speaks in such magnificent terms, (Romans 8:15,) that we can boldly cry, Abba, Father; to which I shall immediately refer again.

Art thou the King of the Jews? Although they attempted to overwhelm Christ by many and various accusations, still it is probable that they maliciously seized on the title of King, in order to excite greater odium against him on the part of Pilate. For this reason Luke expressly represents them as saying, we have found him subverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to caesar, saying that he is the Christ, A King Nothing could have been more odious than this crime to Pilate, whose greatest anxiety was to preserve the kingdom in a state of quietness. From the Evangelist John we learn that he was accused on various grounds; but it is evident from the whole of the narrative that this was the chief ground of accusation. In like manner, even at the present day, Satan labors to expose the Gospel to hatred or suspicion on this plea, as if Christ, by erecting his kingdom, were overturning all the governments of the world, and destroying the authority of kings and magistrates. Kings too are, for the most part, so fiercely haughty, that they reckon it impossible for Christ to reign without some diminution of their own power; and, therefore, they always listen favorably to such an accusation as that which was once brought unjustly against Christ.

On this account Pilate, laying aside all the other points, attends chiefly to the sedition; because, if he had ascertained that Christ had in any way disturbed the public peace, he would gladly have condemned him without delay. This is the reason why he asks him about the kingdom. According to the three Evangelists, the answer of Christ is ambiguous; but we learn from John (18:36) that Christ made an open acknowledgment of the fact which was alleged against him; but, at the same time, that he vindicated himself from all criminality by denying that he was an earthly king. But as he did not intend to take pains to vindicate himself, as is usually the case with criminals, the Evangelists put down a doubtful reply; as if they had said, that he did not deny that he was a king, but that he indirectly pointed out the calumny which his enemies unjustly brought against him.

12 He answered nothing. If it be asked why the Evangelists say that Christ was silent, while we have just now heard his answer from their mouth, the reason is, that he had a defense at hand, but voluntarily abstained from producing it. And, indeed, what he formerly replied about the kingdom did not arise from a desire to be acquitted, but was only intended to maintain that he was the Redeemer anciently promised,

before whom every knee ought to bow, (Isaiah 45:23.)

Pilate wondered at this patience; for Christ, by his silence, allowed his innocence to be suspected, when he might easily have refuted frivolous and unfounded calumnies. The integrity of Christ was such that the judge saw it plainly without any defense. But Pilate wished that Christ might not neglect his own cause, and might thus be acquitted without giving offense to many people. And up to this point, the integrity of Pilate is worthy of commendation, because, from a favorable regard to the innocence of Christ, he urges him to defend himself.

But that we may not, like Pilate, wonder at the silence of Christ, as if it had been unreasonable, we must attend to the purpose of God, who determined that his Son—whom he had appointed to be a sacrifice to atone for our sins—should be condemned as guilty in our room, though in himself he was pure. Christ therefore was at that time silent, that he may now be our advocate, and by his intercession may deliver us from condemnation. He was silent, that we may boast that by his grace we are righteous. And thus was fulfilled the prediction of Isaiah, (53:7,) that he was led as a sheep to the slaughter.

And yet he gave, at the same time, that good confession, which Paul mentions, (1 Timothy 6:12,) a confession not by words, but by deeds; not that by which he consulted his own advantage, but that by which he obtained deliverance for the whole human race.

Matthew 27:15. Now the governor was wont at the festival Here is described to us, on the one hand, the insatiable cruelty of the priests, and, on the other, the furious obstinacy of the people; for both must have been seized with astonishing madness, when they were not satisfied with conspiring to put to death an innocent man, if they did not also, through hatred of him, release a robber. Thus wicked men after having once begun to fall, are driven headlong by Satan, so that they shrink from no crime, however detestable, but, blinded and stupefied, add sin to sin. There can be no doubt that Pilate, in order to prevail upon them through shame, selected a very wicked man, by contrast with whom Christ might be set free; and the very atrocity of the crime of which Barabbas was guilty ought justly to have made the resentment of the people to fall on him, that by comparison with him, at least, Christ might be released. But no disgrace makes either the priests, or the whole nation, afraid to ask that a seditious man and a murderer should be granted to them.

Meanwhile, we ought to consider the purpose of God, by which Christ was appointed to be crucified, as if he had been the basest of men. The Jews, indeed, rage against him with blinded fury; but as God had appointed him to be a sacrifice (κάθαρμα) to atone for the sins of the world, “D’autant que Dieu l’avoit ordonné pour estre celuy sur lequel seroyent mis tousles pechez du monde,, à fin que l’expiation et purgation en fust faite;” — “because God had appointed him to be the person on whom should be laid the sins of the world, in order that the expiation and cleansing of them might be accomplished.” he permitted him to be placed even below a robber and murderer. That the Son of God was reduced so low none can properly remember without the deepest horror, and displeasure with themselves, and detestation of their own crimes. But hence also arises no ordinary ground of confidence; for Christ was sunk into the depths of ignominy, that he might obtain for us, by his humiliation, an ascent to the heavenly glory: he was reckoned worse than a robber, that he might admit us to the society of the angels of God. If this advantage be justly estimated, it will be more than sufficient to remove the offense of the cross.

The custom of having one of the prisoners released by the governor on the festival, to gratify the people, was a foolish and improper practice, and, indeed, was an open abuse of the worship of God; for nothing could be more unreasonable than that festivals should be honored by allowing crimes to go unpunished. God has armed magistrates with the sword, that they may punish with severity those crimes which cannot be tolerated without public injury; and hence it is evident that lie does not wish to be worshipped by a violation of laws and punishments. But since nothing ought to be attempted but by the rule of his word, all that men gain by methods of worshipping God which have been rashly contrived by themselves is, that under the pretense of honoring, they often throw dishonor upon Him. We ought therefore to preserve such moderation, as not to offer to God any thing but what he requires; for he is so far from taking pleasure in profane gift that they provoke his anger the more.

19. While he was sitting on the judgment-seat. Although the thoughts which had passed through the mind of Pilate’s wife during the day might be the cause of her dream, yet there can be no doubt that she suffered these torments, not in a natural way, (such as happens to us every day,) but by an extraordinary inspiration of God. It has been commonly supposed that the devil stirred up this woman, in order to retard the redemption of mankind; which is in the highest degree improbable, since it was he who excited and inflamed, to such a degree, the priests and scribes to put Christ to death. We ought to conclude, on the contrary, that God the Father took many methods of attesting the innocence of Christ, that it might evidently appear that he suffered death in the room of others, — that is, in our room. God intended that Pilate should so frequently acquit him with his own mouth before condemning him, that in his undeserved condemnation the true satisfaction for our sins might be the more brightly displayed. Matthew expressly mentions this, that none may wonder at the extreme solicitude of Pilate, when he debates with the people, in the midst of a tumult, for the purpose of saving the life of a man whom he despised. And, indeed, by the terrors which his wife, had suffered during the night, God compelled him to defend the innocence of his own Son; not to rescue him from death, but only to make it manifest, that in the room of others he endured that punishment which he had not deserved. As to dreams, which serve the purpose of visions, we have spoken elsewhere.

20. But the chief priests and elder’s persuaded the multitude. The Evangelist points out the chief instigators of the wicked proceedings; not that the foolish credulity of the people, who were influenced by others, admits of any excuse; but for the purpose of informing us that they were not, of their own accord, hostile to Christ, but that, having sold themselves to gratify the priests, they forget all justice and modesty, “Toute equité mosiste, et honnesteté:” — “all justice, modesty, and propriety.” as well as their own salvation. Hence we learn how pernicious is the influence of wicked men, who can easily turn in every direction, to all kind of wickedness, the giddy and changeful multitude. Yet we must attend to the design of the Evangelist, which was to show, that the death of Christ was so eagerly demanded by the voice of the people, not because he was universally hated, but because the greater part of them, ambitiously desirous to follow the inclination of their rulers, threw aside all regard to justice, and might be said to have sold and enslaved their tongue to the wicked conspiracy of a few.

22. What then shall I do with Jesus? Perceiving that they are so blinded by madness, that they do not hesitate, to their own great dishonor, to rescue a robber from death, Pilate resorts to another expedient for touching them to the quick, and bringing them to a sound mind. He argues that the death of Christ would bring disgrace on themselves, because it had been commonly reported of Jesus, that he was the King and the Christ. As if he had said, “If you have no compassion for the man, pay some regard, at least, to your own honor; for it will be generally thought by foreigners, that he was put to death for a chastisement to you all.” “Pour vous chastier, et vous faire despit à tous;” — “to chastise you, and pour contempt on you all.” Yet even this did not abate the fierceness of their cruelty, or hinder them from proceeding to manifest a greater degree of opposition to the public interests than of private hostility to Christ. Thus, according to Mark, Pilate, in order to wound them still more deeply, says that even themselves call Jesus the King; meaning, that this title was constantly used, as if it had been his ordinary surname. Yet, throwing aside all shame, they obstinately insist on the murder of Christ, which brought along with it the disgrace of the whole nation. The Evangelist John (14:15) states a reply, which the other three Evangelists do not mention; namely, that they had no king but Caesar. Thus they choose rather to be deprived of the hope of the promised redemption, and to be devoted to perpetual slavery, than to receive the Redeemer, whom God had offered to them.

Matthew 27:24. But Pilate, perceiving that he gained nothing by it. As sailors, who have experienced a violent tempest, at last give way, and permit themselves to be carried out of the proper course; so Pilate, finding himself unable to restrain the commotion of the people, lays aside his authority as a judge, and yields to their furious outcry. And though he had long attempted to hold out, still the necessity does not excuse him; for he ought rather to have submitted to any amount of suffering than to have swerved from his duty. Nor is his guilt alleviated by the childish ceremony which he uses; for how could a few drops of water wash away the stain of a crime which no satisfaction of any kind could obliterate? His principal object in doing so was not to wash out his stains before God, but to exhibit to the people a Mark of abhorrence, to try if perhaps he might lead them to repent of their fury; as if he had employed such a preface as this, “Lo, you compel me to an unrighteous murder, to which I cannot come but with trembling and horror. What then shall become of you, and what dreadful vengeance of God awaits you, who are the chief actors in the deed?” But whatever might be the design of Pilate, God intended to testify, in this manner, the innocence of his Son, that it might be more manifest that in him our sins were condemned. The supreme and sole Judge of the world is placed at the bar of an earthly judge, is condemned to crucifixion as a malefactor, and — what is more — is placed between two robbers, as if he had been the prince of robbers. A spectacle so revolting might, at first sight, greatly disturb the senses of men, were it not met by this argument, that the punishment which had been due to us was laid on Christ, so that, our guilt having now been removed, we do not hesitate to come into the presence of the Heavenly Judge. Accordingly, the water, which was of no avail for washing away the filth of Pilate, ought to be efficacious, in the present day, for a different purpose, to cleanse our eyes from every obstruction, that, in the midst of condemnation, they may clearly perceive the righteousness of Christ.

25. His blood be on us. There can be no doubt that the Jews pronounced this curse on themselves without any concern, as if they had been fully convinced that they had a righteous cause before God; but their inconsiderate zeal carries them headlong, so that, while they commit an irreparable crime, they add to it a solemn imprecation, by which they cut themselves off from the hope of pardon. Hence we infer how carefully we ought to guard against headlong rashness in all our judgments. For when men refuse to make inquiry, and venture to decide in this or the other matter according to their own fancy, blind impulse must at length carry them to rage. And this is the righteous vengeance of God with which he visits the pride of those who do not deign to take the trouble of distinguishing between right and wrong. The Jews thought that, in slaying Christ, they were performing a service acceptable to God; but whence arose this wicked error, unless from wicked obstinacy, and from despising God himself? Justly, therefore, were they abandoned to this rashness of drawing upon themselves final ruin. But when the question relates to the worship of God and his holy mysteries, let us learn to open our eyes, and to inquire into the matter with reverence and sobriety, lest through hypocrisy and presumption we become stupefied and enraged.

Now as God would never have permitted this execrable word to proceed from the mouth of the people, if their impiety had not been already desperate, so afterwards he justly revenged it by dreadful and unusual methods; and yet by an incredible miracle he reserved for himself some remnant, that his covenant might not be abolished by the destruction of the whole nation. He had adopted for himself the seed of Abraham, that it might be

a chosen nation, a royal priesthood, his peculiar people and inheritance, (1 Peter 2:9.)

The Jews now conspire, as with one voice, to renounce a favor so distinguished. Who would not say that the whole nation was utterly rooted out from the kingdom of God? But God, through their treachery, renders more illustrious the fidelity of his promise, and, to show that he did not in vain make a covenant with Abraham, he rescues from the general destruction those whom he has elected by free grace. Thus the truth of God always rises superior to all the obstacles raised by human unbelief.

26 Then he released to them Barabbas. Our three Evangelists do not mention what is related by John, (15:13,) that Pilate ascended the judgment-seat to pronounce sentence from it; for they only state that the clamor of the people and the confused tumult prevailed on him basely to deliver up Christ to death. But both of these things must be observed, that a compliance was forced from him contrary to his will, and yet that he exercised the office of a judge in condemning him whom he pronounces to be innocent. For if the Son of God had not been free from all sin, we would have had no right to look for satisfaction from his death; and, on the other hand, if he had not become our surety, to endure the punishment which we had deserved, we would now have been involved in the condemnation of our sins. So then God determined that his Son should be condemned in a solemn manner, that he might acquit us for his sake.

But even the severity of the punishment serves to confirm our faith, not less than to impress our minds with dread of the wrath of God, and to humble us by a conviction of our miseries. For if we are desirous to profit aright by meditating on the death of Christ, we ought to begin with cherishing abhorrence of our sins, in proportion to the severity of the punishment which he endured. This will cause us not only to feel displeasure and shame of ourselves, but to be penetrated with deep grief, and therefore to seek the medicine with becoming ardor, and at the same time to experience confusion and trembling. For we must have hearts harder than stones, if we are not cut to the quick by the wounds of the Son of God, if we do not hate and detest our sins, for expiating which the Son of God endured so many torments. But as this is a display of the dreadful vengeance of God, so, on the other hand, it holds out to us the most abundant grounds of confidence; for we have no reason to fear that our sins, from which the Son of God acquits us by so valuable a ransom, will ever again be brought into judgment before God. For not only did he endure an ordinary kind of death, in order to obtain life for us, but along with the cross he took upon him our curse, that no uncleanness might any longer remain in us.

27. Then the soldiers of the governor. It is not without reason that these additional insults are related. We know that it was not some sort of ludicrous exhibition, when God exposed his only-begotten Son to every kind of reproaches. First, then, we ought to consider what we have deserved, and, next, the satisfaction offered by Christ ought to awaken us to confident hope. Our filthiness deserves that God should hold it in abhorrence, and that all the angels should spit upon us; but Christ, in order to present us pure and unspotted in presence of the Father, resolved to be spat upon, and to be dishonored by every kind of reproaches. For this reason, that disgrace which he once endured on earth obtains for us favor in heaven, and at the same time restores in us the image of God, which had been not only stained, but almost obliterated, by the pollutions of sin. Here, too, is brightly displayed the inconceivable mercy of God towards us, in bringing his only-begotten Son so low on our account. This was also a proof which Christ gave of his astonishing love towards us, that there was no ignominy to which he refused to submit for our salvation. but these matters call for secret meditation, rather than for the ornament of words.

We are also taught that the kingdom of Christ ought not to be estimated by the sense of the flesh, but by the judgment of faith and of the Spirit. For so long as our minds grovel in the world, we look: upon his kingdom not only as contemptible, but even as loaded with shame and disgrace; but as soon as our minds rise by faith to heaven, not only will the spiritual majesty of Christ be presented to us, so as to obliterate all the dishonor of the cross, but the spittings, scourgings, blows, and other indignities, will lead us to the contemplation of his glory; as Paul informs us, that

God hath given him a name, and the highest authority, that before him every knee might bow, because he willingly emptied himself (ἐκένωσε) even to the death of the cross, (Philippians 2:8-10.)

If, therefore, even in the present day, the world insolently mocks at Christ, let us learn to rise above these offenses by elevated faith; and let us not stop to inquire, what unworthy opposition is made to Christ by wicked men, but with what ornaments the Father hath clothed him, with what scepter and with what crown he hath adorned him, so as to raise him high, not only above men, but even above all the angels.

Mark uses the word purple instead of scarlet; but though these are different colors, we need not trouble ourselves much about that matter. That Christ was clothed with a costly garment is not probable; and hence we infer that it was not purple, but something that bore a resemblance to it, as a painter counterfeits truth by his likenesses.

32. They found a man, a Cyrenian. This circumstance points out the extreme cruelty both of the Jewish nation and of the soldiers. There is no reason to doubt that it was then the custom for malefactors to carry their own crosses to the place of punishment, but as the only persons who were crucified were robbers, who were men of great bodily strength, they were able to bear such a burden. It was otherwise with Christ, so that the very weakness of his body plainly showed that it was a lamb that was sacrificed. Perhaps, too, in consequence of having been mangled by scourging, and broken down by many acts of outrage, he bent under the weight of the cross. Now the Evangelists relate that the soldiers constrained a man who was a peasant, and of mean rank, to carry the cross; because that punishment was reckoned so detestable, that every person thought himself polluted, if he only happened to put his hand to it. “S’il luy fust advenu d’y mettre la main.” But God ennobles by his heralds the man who was taken from the lowest dregs of the people to perform a mean and infamous office; for it is not a superfluous matter, that the Evangelists not only mention his name, but inform us also about his country and his children. Nor can there be any doubt that God intended, by this preparation, to remind us that we are of no rank or estimation in ourselves, and that it is only from the cross of his Son that we derive eminence and renown.

Matthew 27:33. And they came to the place. Jesus was brought to the place where it was customary to execute criminals, that his death might be more ignominious. Now though this was done according to custom, still we ought to consider the loftier purpose of God; for he determined that his Son should be cast out of the city as unworthy of human intercourse, that he might admit us into his heavenly kingdom with the angels. For this reason the apostle, in the Epistle to the Hebrews, (13:12,) refers it to an ancient figure of the law. For as God commanded his people to burn without the camp the bodies of those animals, the blood of which was carried into the sanctuary to make atonement for sins, (Exodus 29:14; Leviticus 16:27;) so he says that Christ went out of the gate of the city, that, by taking upon him the curse which pressed us down, he might be regarded as accursed, and might in this manner atone for our sins. “Et effeçast nos peche, et en fist la satisfaction;” — “and might blot out our sins, and make satisfaction for them.” Now the greater the ignominy and disgrace which he endured before the world, so much the more acceptable and noble a spectacle did he exhibit in his death to God and to the angels. For the infamy of the place did not hinder him from erecting there a splendid trophy of his victory; nor did the offensive smell of the carcasses which lay there hinder the sweet savor of his sacrifice from diffusing itself throughout the whole world, and penetrating even to heaven.

34. And they gave him vinegar. Although the Evangelists are not so exact in placing each matter in its due order, as to enable us to fix the precise moment at which the events occurred; yet I look upon it as a probable conjecture that, before our Lord was elevated on the cross, there was offered to him in a cup, according to custom, wine mingled with myrrh, or some other mixture, which appears to have been compounded of gall and vinegar. It is sufficiently agreed, indeed, among nearly all interpreters, that this draught was different from that which is mentioned by John, (14:29,) and of which we shall speak very soon. I only add, that I consider the cup to have been offered to our Lord when he was about to be crucified; but that after the cross was lifted up, a sponge was then dipped and given to him. At what time he began to ask something to drink, I am not very anxious to inquire; but when we compare all the circumstances, it is not unreasonable to suppose that, after he had refused that bitter mixture, it was frequently in derision presented to his lips. For we shall find Matthew afterwards adding that the soldiers, while they were giving him to drink, upbraided him for not being able to rescue himself from death. Hence we infer that, while the remedy was offered, they ridiculed the weakness of Christ, because he had complained that he was forsaken by God, (Matthew 27:49.)

As to the Evangelist John’s narrative, it is only necessary to understand that Christ requested that some ordinary beverage might be given him to assuage his thirst, but that vinegar, mingled with myrrh and gall, was attempted to be forced upon him for hastening his death. But he patiently bore his torments, so that the lingering pain did not lead him to desire that his death should be hastened; for even this was a part of his sacrifice and obedience, to endure to the very last the lingering exhaustion.

They are mistaken, in my opinion, who look upon the vinegar as one of the torments which were cruelly inflicted on the Son of God. There is greater probability in the conjecture of those who think that this kind of beverage had a tendency to promote the evacuation of blood, and that on this account it was usually given to malefactors, for the purpose of accelerating their death. Accordingly, Mark calls it wine mingled with myrrh. Now Christ, as I have just now hinted, was not led to refuse the wine or vinegar so much by a dislike of its bitterness, as by a desire to show that he advanced calmly to death, according to the command of the Father, and that he did not rush on heedlessly through want of patience for enduring pain. Nor is this inconsistent with what John says, that the Scripture was fulfilled, In my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. For the two accounts perfectly agree with each other; that a remedy was given to him in order to put an end to the torments of a lingering death, and yet that Christ was in every respect treated with harshness, so that the very alleviation was a part, or rather was an augmentation, of his pain.

35. They parted his garments. It is certain that the soldiers did this also according to custom, in dividing among themselves the clothes of a man who had been condemned to die. One circumstance was perhaps peculiar, that they cast lots on a coat which was without seam, (John 19:23.) But though nothing happened to Christ in this respect but what was done to all who were condemned to die, still this narrative deserves the utmost attention. For the Evangelists exhibit to us the Son of God stripped of his garments, in order to inform us, that by this nakedness we have obtained those riches which make us honorable in the presence of God. God determined that his own Son should be stripped of his raiment, that we, clothed with his righteousness and with abundance of all good things, may appear with boldness in company with the angels, whereas formerly our loathsome and disgraceful aspect, in tattered garments, kept us back from approaching to heaven. Christ himself permitted his garments to be torn in pieces like a prey, that he might enrich us with the riches of his victory.

That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet. When Matthew says that thus was fulfilled the prediction of David,

they part my garments among them, and cast the lot upon my vesture, (Psalm 22:18,)

we must understand his meaning to be, that what David complained of, as having been done to himself metaphorically and figuratively, was literally, (as the common phrase is,) and in reality, exhibited in Christ. For by the word garments David means his wealth and honors; as if he had said that, during his life, and under his own eyes, he was prey to enemies, who had robbed his house, and were so far from sparing the rest of his property, that they even carried off his wife. This cruelty is represented even more strikingly by the metaphor, when he says that his garments were divided by lot. Now as he was a shadow and image of Christ, he predicted, by the spirit of prophecy, what Christ was to suffer. In his person, therefore, this is worthy of observation, that the soldiers plundered his raiment, because in this pillage we discern the signs and marks by which he was formerly pointed out. It serves also to remove the offense with which the sense of the flesh might otherwise have regarded his nakedness, since he suffered nothing which the Holy Spirit does not declare to belong truly and properly to the person of the Redeemer.

Matthew 27:37. And placed over his head. What is briefly noticed by Matthew and Mark is more fully related by Luke, (23:38,) that the inscription was written in three languages. John also describes it more largely, (14:19-22.) Under this passage my readers will find what I pass over here for the sake of brevity. I shall only say, that it did not happen without the providence of God, that the death of Christ was made known in three languages. Though Pilate had no other design than to bring reproach and infamy on the Jewish nation, yet God had a higher end in view; for by this presage he caused it to be widely known that the death of his Son would be highly celebrated, so that all nations would everywhere acknowledge that he was the King promised to the Jews. This was not, indeed, the lawful preaching of the Gospel, for Pilate was unworthy to be employed by God as a witness for his Son; but what was afterwards to be accomplished by the true ministers was prefigured in Pilate. In short, we may look upon him to be a herald of Christ in the same sense that Caiaphas was a prophet, (John 11:51.)

38. Then were crucified with him two robbers. It was the finishing stroke of the lowest disgrace when Christ was executed between two robbers; for they assigned him the most prominent place, as if’ he had been the prince of robbers. If he had been crucified apart from the other malefactors, there might have appeared to be a distinction between his case and theirs; but now he is not only confounded with them, but raised aloft, as if he had been by far the most detestable of all. On this account Mark applies to him the prediction of Isaiah, (53:12) he was reckoned among transgressors; for the prophet expressly says concerning Christ, that he will deliver his people, not by pomp and splendor, but because he will endure the punishment clue to their sins. In order that he might free us from condemnation, this kind of expiation was necessary, that he might place himself in, our room. Here we perceive how dreadful is the weight of the wrath of God against sins, for appeasing which it became necessary that Christ, who is eternal justice, should be ranked with robbers. We see, also, the inestimable love of Christ towards us, who, in order that he might admit us to the society of the holy angels, permitted himself to be classed as one of the wicked.

MATTHEW 27:39-44; MARK 15:29-32; LUKE 23:35-37, 39-42

Matthew 27:39-44

Mark 15:29-32

Luke 23:35-37, 39-43

39. And they that passed by reviled him, shaking their heads, 40. And saying, Thou who destroyedst the temple, and buildedst it in three days, save thyself; if thou art the Son of God, come down from the cross. 41. In like manner also the chief priests mocking, with the scribes and elders, said, 42. He saved others, himself he cannot save; if he is the King of Israel, let him now descend from the cross, and we will believe him. 43. He trusted in God. Let him deliver him now, if he favors him; for he said, I am the Son of God. 44. The robbers also, who were crucified with him, upbraided him in the same manner.

29. And they that passed by reviled him, shaking their heads, and saying, O, thou who destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, 30. Save thyself, and come down from the cross. 31. In like manner also the chief priests mocking, said among themselves, with the scribes, He saved others, himself he cannot save. 32. Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him upbraided him.

35. And the people stood gazing, and the rulers along with them mocked him, saying, He saved others, let him save himself, if he is the Christ, the elect of God. 36. The soldiers also mocked him, approaching, and offering him vinegar, 37. And saying, If thou art the King of the Jews, save thyself. (And a little after.) 39. And one of the malefactors, who were executed, reviled him, saying, If thou art the Christ, save thyself and us. 40. And the other answering, rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou at least fear God, since thou art in the same condemnation? 41. And we indeed justly; for we receive what is due to our actions, but this man hath done nothing amiss. 42. And he said to Jesus, Lord, remember me, when thou shalt come into thy kingdom. 43. Jesus said to him, Verily, I say to thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.

Matthew 27:39. And they that passed by. These circumstances carry great weight; for they place before us the extreme abasement of the Son of God, that we may see more clearly how much our salvation cost him, and that, reflecting that we justly deserved all the punishments which he endured, we may be more and more excited to repentance. For in this exhibition God hath plainly showed to us how wretched our condition would have been, if we had not a Redeemer. But all that Christ endured in himself ought to be applied for our consolation. This certainly was more cruel than all the other tortures, that they upbraided, and reviled, and tormented him as one that had been cast off and forsaken by God, (Isaiah 53:4.) And, therefore, David, as the representative of Christ, complains chiefly of this among the distresses which he suffered; (Psalm 22:7.) And, indeed, there is nothing that inflicts a more painful wound on pious minds than when ungodly men, in order to shake their faith, upbraid them with being deprived of the assistance and favor of God. This is the harsh persecution with which, Paul tells us, Isaac was tormented by Ishmael, (Galatians 4:29;) not that he attacked him with the sword, and with outward violence, but that, by turning the grace of God into ridicule, he endeavored to overthrow his faith. These temptations were endured, first by David, and afterwards by Christ him-self, that they might not at the present day strike us with excessive alarm, as if they had been unusual; for there never will be wanting wicked men who are disposed to insult our distresses. And whenever God does not assist us according to our wish, but conceals his aid for a little time, it is a frequent stratagem of Satan, to allege that our hope was to no purpose, as if his promise had failed.

40. Thou who destroyedst the temple. They charge Christ with teaching falsehood, because, now that it is called for, he does not actually display the power to which he laid claim. But if their unbridled propensity to cursing had not deprived them of sense and reason, they would shortly afterwards have perceived clearly the truth of his statement. Christ had said,

Destroy this temple, and after three days I will raise it up, (John 2:19;)

but now they indulge in a premature triumph, and do not wait for the three days that would elapse from the commencement of its destruction. Such is the daring presumption of wicked men, when, under the pretense of the cross, they endeavor to cut them off from the hope of the future life. “Where,” say they, “is that immortal glory of which weak and credulous men are accustomed to boast? while the greater part of them are mean and despised, some are slenderly provided with food, others drag out a wretched life, amidst uninterrupted disease; others are driven about in flight, or in banishment; others pine away in prisons, and others are burnt and reduced to ashes?” Thus are they blinded by the present corruption of our outward man, so as to imagine that the hope of the future restoration of life is vain and foolish but our duty is to wait for the proper season of the promised building, and not to take it ill if we are now crucified with Christ, that we may afterwards be partakers of his resurrection, (Romans 6:5, 6.)

If thou art the Son of God. Wicked men demand from Christ such a proof of His power that, by proving himself to be the Son of God, he may cease to be the Son of God. He had clothed himself with human flesh, and had descended into the world, on this condition, that, by the sacrifice of his death, he might reconcile men to God the Father. So then, in order to prove himself to be the Son of God, it was necessary that he should hang on the cross. And now those wicked men affirm that the Redeemer will not be recognized as the Son of God, unless he come clown from the cross, and thus disobey the command of his Father, and, leaving incomplete the expiation of sins, divest himself of the office which God had assigned to him. But let us learn from it to confirm our faith by considering that the Son of God determined to remain nailed to the cross for the sake of our salvation, until he had endured most cruel torments of the flesh, and dreadful anguish of soul, and even death itself. And lest we should come to tempt God in a manner similar to that in which those men tempted him, let us allow God to conceal his power, whenever it pleases Him to do so, that he may afterwards display it at his pleasure at the proper time and place. The same kind of depravity appears in the other objection which immediately follows: —

42. If he is the King, of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we shall believe him. For they ought not to embrace as King any one who did not answer to the description given by the prophets. But Isaiah (52:14; 53:2) and Zechariah (13:7) expressly represent Christ as devoid of comeliness, afflicted, condemned, and accursed, half-dead, poor, and despised, before he ascends the royal throne. It is therefore foolish in the Jews to desire one of an opposite character, whom they may acknowledge as King; for, by so doing, they declare that they have no good-will to the King whom the Lord had promised to give. But let us, on the contrary, that our faith may firmly rely on Christ, seek a foundation in his cross; for in no other way could he be acknowledged to be the lawful King of Israel than by fulfilling what belonged to the Redeemer. And hence we conclude how dangerous it is to depart from the word of God by wandering after our speculations. For the Jews, in consequence of having imagined to themselves a King who had been suggested to them by their own senses, rejected Christ crucified, because they reckoned it absurd to believe in him; while we regard it as the best and highest reason for believing, that he voluntarily subjected himself on our account to the ignominy of the cross.

He saved others; himself he cannot save. It was an ingratitude which admits of no excuse, that, taking offense at the present humiliation of Christ, they utterly disregard all the miracles which he had formerly performed before their eyes. They acknowledge that he saved others. By what power, or by what means? Why do they not in this instance, at least, behold with reverence an evident work of God? But since they maliciously exclude, and—as far as lies in their power—endeavor to extinguish the light of God which shone in the miracles, they are unworthy of forming an accurate judgment of the weakness of the cross. Because Christ does not immediately deliver himself from death, they upbraid him with inability. And it is too customary with all wicked men to estimate the power of God by present appearances, so that whatever he does not accomplish they think that he cannot accomplish, and so they accuse him of weakness, whenever he does not comply with their wicked desire. But let us believe that Christ, though he might easily have done it, did not immediately deliver himself from death, but it was because he did not wish to deliver himself. And why did he for the time disregard his own safety, but because he cared more about the salvation of us all? We see then that the Jews, through their malice, employed, in defense of their unbelief, those things by which our faith is truly edified.

43. He trusted in God. This, as I said a little ago, is a very sharp arrow of temptation which Satan holds in his hand, when he pretends that God has forgotten us, because He does not relieve us speedily and at the very moment. For since God watches over the safety of his people, and not only grants them seasonable aid, but even anticipates their necessities, (as Scripture everywhere teaches us,) he appears not to love those whom he does not assist. Satan, therefore, attempts to drive us to despair by this logic, that it is in vain for us to feel assured o the love of God, when we do not clearly perceive his aid. And as he suggests to our minds this kind of imposition, so he employs his agents, who contend that God has sold and abandoned our salvation, because he delays to give his assistance. We ought, therefore, to reject as false this argument, that God does not love those whom he appears for a time to forsake; and, indeed, nothing is more unreasonable than to limit his love to any point of time. God has, indeed, promised that he will be our Deliverer; but if he sometimes wink at our calamities, we ought patiently to endure the delay. It is, therefore, contrary to the nature of faith, that the word now should be insisted on by those whom God is training by the cross and by adversity to obedience, and whom he entreats to pray and to call on his name; for these are rather the testimonies of his fatherly love, as the apostle tells us, (Hebrews 12:6.) But there was this peculiarity in, Christ, that, though he was the well-beloved Son, (Matthew 3:17; 17:5,) yet he was not delivered from death, until he had endured the punishment which we deserved; because that was the price by which our salvation was purchased. “Pource que c’estoit le prix de nostre salut et redemption;” — “because it was the price of our salvation and redemption.” Hence it follows again that the priests act maliciously, when they infer that he is not the Son of God, because he performs the office which was enjoined upon him by the Father.

44. And the robbers also. Matthew and Mark, by synecdoche, attribute to the robbers what was done only by one of them, as is evident from Luke And this mode of expression ought not to be accounted harsh; for the two Evangelists had no other design than to show that Christ was attacked on every hand by the reproaches of all men, so that even the robbers, who were fast dying, did not spare him. In like manner David, deploring his calamities, exhibits their violence in a strong light by saying, that he is the reproach of all sorts of men, and despised by the people. Now although they leave out the memorable narrative which Luke relates as to the other robber, still there is no inconsistency in their statement, that Christ was despised by all, down to the very robbers; for they do not speak of particular individuals, but of the class itself. Let us now, therefore, come to what is stated by Luke

Matthew 27:45. Now from the sixth hour. Although in the death of Christ the weakness of the flesh concealed for a short time the glory of the Godhead, and though the Son of God himself was disfigured by shame and contempt, and, as Paul says, was emptied, (Philippians 2:7) yet the heavenly Father did not cease to distinguish him by some marks, and during his lowest humiliation prepared some indications of his future glory, in order to fortify the minds of the godly against the offense of the cross. Thus the majesty of Christ was attested by the obscuration of the sun, by the earthquake, by the splitting of the rocks, and the rending of the veil, as if heaven and earth were rendering the homage which they owed to their Creator.

But we inquire, in the first place, what was the design of the eclipse of the sun? For the fiction of the ancient poets in their tragedies, that the light of the sun is withdrawn from the earth whenever any shocking crime is perpetrated, was intended to express the alarming effects of the anger of God; and this invention unquestionably had its origin in the ordinary feelings of mankind. In accordance with this view, some commentators think that, at the death of Christ, God sent darkness as a Mark of detestation, as if God, by bringing darkness over the sun, hid his face from beholding the blackest of all crimes. Others say that, when the visible sun was extinguished, it pointed out the death of the Sun of righteousness. Others choose to refer it to the blinding of the nation, which followed shortly afterwards. For the Jews, by rejecting Christ, as soon as he was removed from among them, were deprived of the light of heavenly doctrine, and nothing was left to them but the darkness of despair.

I rather think that, as stupidity had shut the eyes of that people against the light, the darkness was intended to arouse them to consider the astonishing design of God in the death of Christ. For if they were not altogether hardened, an unusual change of the order of nature must have made a deep impression on their senses, so as to look forward to an approaching renewal of the world. Yet it was a terrific spectacle which was exhibited to them, that they might tremble at the judgment of God. And, indeed, it was an astonishing display of the wrath of God that he did not spare even his only begotten Son, and was not appeased in any other way than by that price of expiation.

As to the scribes and priests, and a great part of the nation, who paid no attention to the eclipse of the sun, but passed it by with closed eyes, their amazing madness ought to strike us with horror; “Leur foreenerie noun, doit blen estonner, et nous faire dresser les cheveux en la teste;” — “their madness ought greatly to astonish us, and to make our hair stand on end.” for they must have been more stupid than brute beasts, who when plainly warned of the severity of the judgment of heaven by such a miracle, did not cease to indulge in mockery. But this is the spirit of stupidity and of giddiness with which God intoxicates the reprobate, after having long contended with their malice. Meanwhile, let us learn that, when they were bewitched by the enchantments of Satan, the glory of God, however manifest, was afterwards hidden from them, or, at least, that their minds were darkened, so that, seeing they did not see, (Matthew 13:14.) But as it was a general admonition, it ought also to be of advantage to us, by informing us that the sacrifice by which we are redeemed was of as much importance as if the sun had fallen from heaven, or if the whole fabric of the world had fallen to pieces; for this will excite in us deeper horror at our sins.

As to the opinion entertained by some who make this eclipse of the sun extend to every quarter of the world, I do not consider it to be probable. For though it was related by one or two authors, still the history of those times attracted so much attention, that it was impossible for so remarkable a miracle to be passed over in silence by many other authors, who have described minutely events which were not so worthy of being recorded. Besides, if the eclipse had been universal throughout the world, it would have been regarded as natural, and would more easily have escaped the notice of men. “Plus aisément on l’eust laissé passer sans enquerir la signification;” —”it would more easily have been allowed to pass without inquiring into its meaning.” But when the sun was shining elsewhere, it was a more striking miracle that Judea was covered with darkness.

46. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried. Though in the cry which Christ uttered a power more than human was manifested, yet it was unquestionably drawn from him by intensity of sorrow. And certainly this was his chief conflict, and harder than all the other tortures, that in his anguish he was so far from being soothed by the assistance or favor of his Father, that he felt himself to be in some measure estranged from him. For not only did he offer his body as the price of our reconciliation with God, but. in his soul also he endured the punishments due to us; and thus he became, as Isaiah speaks, a man of sorrows, (53:3.) Those interpreters are widely mistaken who, laying aside this part of redemption, attended solely to the outward punishment of the flesh; for in order that Christ might satisfy for us, “A fin que Christ fist la satisfaction et le payment pour nous;” — “in order that Christ might make satisfaction and payment for us.” it was necessary that he should be placed as a guilty person at the judgment-seat of God. Now nothing is more dreadful than to feel that God, whose wrath is worse than all deaths, is the Judge. When this temptation was presented to Christ, as if, having God opposed to him, he were already devoted to destruction, he was seized with horror, which would have been sufficient to swallow up a hundred times all the men in the world; but by the amazing power of the Spirit he achieved the victory. Nor is it by hypocrisy, or by assuming a character, that he complains of having been forsaken by the Father. Some allege that he employed this language in compliance with the opinion of the people, but this is an absurd mode of evading the difficulty; for the inward sadness of his soul was so powerful and violent, that it forced him to break out into a cry. Nor did the redemption which he accomplished consist solely in what was exhibited to the eye, (as I stated a little ago,) but having undertaken to be our surety, he resolved actually to undergo in our room the judgment of God.

But it appear absurd to say that an expression of despair escaped Christ. The reply is easy. Though the perception of the flesh would have led him to dread destruction, still in his heart faith remained firm, by which he beheld the presence of God, of whose absence he complains. We have explained elsewhere how the Divine nature gave way to the weakness of the flesh, so far as was necessary for our salvation, that Christ might accomplish all that was required of the Redeemer. We have likewise pointed out the distinction between the sentiment of nature and the knowledge of faith; and, there ore, the perception of God’s estrangement from him, which Christ had, as suggested by natural feeling, did not hinder him from continuing to be assured by faith that God was reconciled to him. This is sufficiently evident from the two clauses of the complaint; for, before stating the temptation, he begins by saying that he betakes himself to God as his God, and thus by the shield of faith he courageously expels that appearance of forsaking which presented itself on the other side. In short, during this fearful torture his faith remained uninjured, so that, while he complained of being forsaken, he still relied on the aid of God as at hand.

That this expression eminently deserves our attention is evident from the circumstance, that the Holy Spirit, in order to engrave it more deeply on the memory of men, has chosen to relate it in the Syriac language; “A voulu qu’il fust escrit et enregistré en langue Syrienne, de la quelle on usoit lors communément au pays;” — “determined that it should be written and recorded in the Syrian language, which was then commonly used in the country.” for this has the same effect as if he made us hear Christ himself repeating the very words which then proceeded from his mouth. So much the more detestable is the indifference of those who lightly pass by, as a matter of jesting, the deep sadness and fearful trembling which Christ endured. No one who considers that Christ undertook the office of Mediator on the condition of suffering our condemnation, both in his body and in his soul, will think it strange that he maintained a struggle with the sorrows of death, as if an offended God had thrown him into a whirlpool of afflictions.

47. He calleth Elijah. Those who consider this as spoken by the soldiers, ignorant and unskilled in the Syriac language, and unacquainted with the Jewish religion, and who imagine that the soldiers blundered through a resemblance of the words, are, in my opinion, mistaken. I do not think it at all probable that they erred through ignorance, but rather that they deliberately intended to mock Christ, and to turn his prayer into an occasion of slander. For Satan has no method more effectual for ruining the salvation of the godly, than by dissuading them from calling on God. For this reason, he employs his agents to drive off from us, as far as he can, the desire to pray. Thus he impelled the wicked enemies of Christ basely to turn his prayer into derision, intending by this stratagem to strip him of his chief armor. And certainly it is a very grievous temptation, when prayer appears to be so far from yielding any advantage to us, that God exposes his name to reproaches, instead of lending a gracious car to our prayers. This ironical language, therefore — or rather this barking of dogs — amounts to saying that Christ has no access to God, because, by imploring Elijah, he seeks relief in another quarter. Thus we see that he was tortured on every hand, in order that, overwhelmed with despair, he might abstain from calling on God, which was, to abandon salvation. But if the hired brawlers of Antichrist, as well as wicked men existing in the Church, are now found to pervert basely by their calumnies what has been properly said by us, let us not wonder that the same thing should happen to our Head. Yet though they may change God into Elijah, when they have ridiculed us to their heart’s content, God will at length listen to our groanings, and will show that he vindicates his glory, and punishes base falsehood.

48. And immediately one ran. As Christ had once refused to drink, it may be conjectured with probability, that it was repeatedly offered to him for the sake of annoyance; though it is also not improbable that the vinegar was held out to him in a cup before he was raised aloft, and that a sponge was afterwards applied to his mouth, while he was hanging on the cross.

Matthew 27:50. Jesus having again cried with a loud voice. Luke, who makes no mention of the former complaint, repeats the words of this second cry, which Matthew and Mark leave out. He says that Jesus cried, Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit; by which he declared that, though he was fiercely attacked by violent temptations, still his faith was unshaken, and always kept its ground unvanquished. For there could not have been a more splendid triumph than when Christ boldly expresses his assurance that God is the faithful guardian of his soul, which all imagined to be lost. But instead of speaking to the deaf, he betook himself directly to God, and committed to his bosom the assurance of his confidence. He wished, indeed, that men should hear what he said; but though it might be of no avail to men, he was satisfied with having God alone as his witness. And certainly there is not a stronger or more decided testimony of faith than when a pious man—perceiving himself attacked on every hand:, so that he finds no consolation on the part of men—despises the madness of the whole world, discharges his sorrows and cares into the bosom of God, and rests in the hope of his promises.

Though this form of prayer appears to be borrowed from Psalm 31:5, yet I have no doubt that he applied it to his immediate object, according to present circumstances; as if he had said, “I see, indeed, O Father, that by the universal voice I am destined to destruction, and that my soul is, so to speak, hurried to and fro; but though, according to the flesh, I perceive no assistance in thee, yet this will not hinder me from committing my spirit into thy hands, and calmly relying on the hidden safeguard of thy goodness.” Yet it ought to be observed, that David, in the passage which I have quoted, not only prayed that his soul, received by the hand of God, might continue to be safe and happy after death, but committed his life to the Lord, that, guarded by his protection, he might prosper both in life and in death. He saw himself continually besieged by many deaths; nothing, therefore, remained but to commit himself to the invincible protection of God. Having made God the guardian of his soul, he rejoices that it is safe from all danger; and, at the same time, prepares to meet death with confidence, whenever it shall please God, because the Lord guards the souls of his people even in death. No as the former was taken away from Christ, to commit his soul to be protected by the Father during the frail condition of the earthly life, he hastens cheerfully to death, and desires to be preserved beyond the world; for the chief reason why God receives our souls into his keeping is, that our faith may rise beyond this transitory life.

Let us now remember that it was not in reference to himself alone that Christ committed his soul to the Father, but that he included, as it were, in one bundle all the souls of those who believe in him, that they may be preserved along with his own; and not only so, but by this prayer he obtained authority to save all souls, so that not only does the heavenly Father, for his sake, deign to take them into his custody, but, giving up the authority into his hands, commits them to him to be protected. And therefore Stephen also, when dying, resigns his soul into his hands, saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit, (Acts 7:59.) Every one who, when he comes to die, following this example, shall believe in Christ, will not breathe his soul at random into the air, but will resort to a faithful guardian, who keeps in safety whatever has been delivered to him by the Father.

The cry shows also the intensity of the feeling; for there can be no doubt that Christ, out of the sharpness of the temptations by which he was beset, not without a painful and strenuous effort, broke out into this cry. And yet he likewise intended, by this loud and piercing exclamation, to assure us that his soul would be safe and uninjured by death, in order that we, supported by the same confidence, may cheerfully depart from the frail hovel of our flesh.

51. And, lo, the veil of the temple was rent. When Luke blends the rending of the veil with the eclipse of the sun, he inverts the order; for the Evangelists, as we have frequently seen, are not careful to mark every hour with exactness. Nor was it proper that the veil should be rent, until the sacrifice of expiation had been completed; for then Christ, the true and everlasting Priest, having abolished the figures of the law, opened up for us by his blood the way to the heavenly sanctuary, that we may no longer stand at a distance within the porch, but may freely advance into the presence of God. For so long as the shadowy worship lasted, “Cependant que le service, qui avoit les ombres de la Loy, a duré;” — “so long as the service, which contained the shadows of the Law, lasted.” a veil was hung up before the earthly sanctuary, in order to keep the people not only from entering but from seeing it, (Exodus 26:33; 2 Chronicles 3:14.) Now Christ, by

blotting out the handwriting which was opposed to us, (Colossians 2:14,)

removed every obstruction, that, relying on him as Mediator, we may all be a royal priesthood, (1 Peter 2:9.) Thus the rending of the veil was not only an abrogation of the ceremonies which existed under the law, but was, in some respects, an opening of heaven, that God may now invite the members of his Son to approach him with familiarity.

Meanwhile, the Jews were informed that the period of abolishing outward sacrifices had arrived, and that the ancient priesthood would be of no farther use; that though the building of the temple was left standing, it would not be necessary to worship God there after the ancient custom; but that since the substance and truth of the shadows had been fulfilled, the figures of the law were changed into spirit. For though Christ offered a visible sacrifice, yet, as the Apostle tells us (Hebrews 9:14) it must be viewed spiritually, that we may enjoy its value and its fruit. But it was of no advantage to those wretched men that the outward sanctuary was laid bare by the rending of the veil, because the inward veil of unbelief, which was in their hearts, “Qui estoit en leurs cœurs.” hindered them from beholding the saving light.

And the earth trembled, and the rocks were split. What Matthew adds about the earthquake and the splitting oft he rocks, I think it probable, took place at the same time. In this way not only did the earth bear the testimony to its Creator, but it was even called as a witness against the hard-heartedness of a perverse nation; for it showed how monstrous that obstinacy must have been on which neither the earthquake nor the splitting of the rocks made any impression.

52 And graves were opened. This was also a striking miracle, by which God declared that his Son entered into the prison of death, not to continue to be shut up there, but to bring out all who were held captive. For at the very time when the despicable weakness of the flesh was beheld in the person of Christ, the magnificent and divine energy of his death penetrated even to hell. This is the reason why, when he was about to be shut up in a sepulcher, other sepulchers were opened by him. Yet it is doubtful if this opening of the graves took place before his resurrection; for, in my opinion, the resurrection of the saints, which is mentioned immediately afterwards, was subsequent to the resurrection of Christ. There is no probability in the conjecture of some commentators that, after having received life and breath, they remained three days concealed in their graves. I think it more probable that, when Christ died, the graves were immediately opened: and that, when he rose, some of the godly, having received life, went out of their graves, and were seen in the city. For Christ is called the first-born from the dead, (Colossians 1:18,) and the first-fruits of those who rise, (1 Corinthians 15:20,) because by his death he commenced, and by his resurrection he completed, a new life; not that, when he died, the dead were immediately raised, but because his death was the source and commencement of life. This reason, therefore, is fully applicable, since the opening of the graves was the presage of a new life, that the fruit or result appeared three days afterwards, because Christ, in rising from the dead, brought others along with him out of their graves as his companions. Now by this sign it was made evident, that he neither died nor rose again in a private capacity, but in order to shed the odor of life on all believers.

But here a question arises. Why did God determine that only some should arise, since a participation in the resurrection of Christ belongs equally to all believers? I reply: As the time was not fully come when the whole body of the Church should be gathered to its Head, he exhibited in a few persons an instance of the new life which all ought to expect. For we know that Christ was received into heaven on the condition that the life of his members should still be hid, (Colossians 3:3,) until it should be manifested by his coming. But in order that the minds of believers might be more quickly raised to hope, it was advantageous that the resurrection, which was to be common to all of them, should be tasted by a few.

Another and more difficult question is, What became of those saints afterwards? For it would appear to be absurd to suppose that, after having been once admitted by Christ to the participation of a new life, they again returned to dust. But as this question cannot be easily or quickly answered, so it is not necessary to give ourselves much uneasiness about a matter which is not necessary to be known. That they continued long to converse with men is not probable; for it was only necessary that they should be seen for a short time, that in them, as in a mirror or resemblance, the power of Christ might plainly appear. As God intended, by their persons, to confirm the hope of the heavenly life among those who were then alive, there would be no absurdity in saying that, after having performed this office, they again rested in their graves. But it is more probable that the life which they received was not afterwards taken from them; for if it had been a mortal life, it would not have been a proof of a perfect resurrection. Now, though the whole world will rise again, and though Christ will raise up the wicked to judgment, as well as believers to salvation, yet as it was especially for the benefit of his Church that he rose again, so it was proper that he should bestow on none but saints the distinguished honor of rising along with him.

53. And went into the holy city. When Matthew bestows on Jerusalem the honorable designation of the holy city, he does not intend to applaud the character of its inhabitants, for we know that it was at that time full of all pollution and wickedness, so that it was rather a den of robbers, (Jeremiah 7:11.) But as it had been chosen by God, its holiness, which was founded on God’s adoption, could not be effaced by any corruptions of men, till its rejection was openly declared. Or, to express it more briefly, on the part of man it was profane, and on the part of God it was holy, till the destruction or pollution of the temple, which happened not long after the crucifixion of Christ.

54. Now the centurion. As Luke mentions the lamentation of the people, the centurion and his soldiers were not the only persons who acknowledged Christ to be the Son of God; but the Evangelists mention this circumstance respecting him for the purpose of heightening their description: for it is wonderful that an irreligious man, who had not been instructed in the Law, and was ignorant of true religion, should form so correct a judgment from the signs which he beheld. This comparison tends powerfully to condemn the stupidity of the city; for it was an evidence of shocking madness, that when the fabric of the world shook and trembled, none of the Jews were affected by it except the despised rabble. And yet, amidst such gross blindness, God did not permit the testimonies which he gave respecting his Son to be buried in silence. Not only, therefore, did true religion open the eyes of devout worshippers of God to perceive that from heaven God was magnifying the glory of Christ, but natural understanding compelled foreigners, and even soldiers, to confess what they had not learned either from the law or from any instructor.

When Mark says that the centurion spoke thus, because Christ, when he had uttered a loud voice, expired, some commentators think that he intends to point out the unwonted strength which remained unimpaired till death; and certainly, as the body of Christ was almost exhausted of blood, it could not happen, in the ordinary course of things, that the sides and the lungs should retain sufficient rigor for uttering so loud a cry. Yet I rather think that the centurion intended to applaud the unshaken perseverance of Christ in calling on the name of God. Nor was it merely the cry of Christ that led the centurion to think so highly of him, but this confession was extorted from him by perceiving that his extraordinary strength harmonized with heavenly miracles.

The words, he feared God, “Quand il est dit qu’il craignit Dieu;” — “when it is said that he feared God.” Calvin does not quote in this instance the exact words of Scripture. Of the centurion and those who were with him, Matthew says, (ἐφοζήθησαν σφόδρα,) they were greatly terrified; and of the centurion Luke says, (ἐδόξασε τὸν Θεόν,) he glorified God.—Ed. must not be so explained as if he had fully repented. “Il ne faut pas entendre qu’il ait esté entierement converti;” — “we must not understand them to mean that he was fully converted.” It was only a sudden and transitory impulse, as it frequently happens, that men who are thoughtless and devoted to the world are struck with the fear of God, when he makes an alarming display of his power; but as they have no living root, indifference quickly follows, and puts an end to that feeling. The centurion had not undergone such a change as to dedicate himself to God for the remainder of his life, but was only for a moment the herald of the divinity of Christ.

When Luke represents him as saying no more than certainly this was a righteous man, the meaning is the same as if he had plainly said that he was the Son of God, as it is expressed by the other two Evangelists. For it had been universally reported that Christ was put to death, because he declared himself to be the Son of God. Now when the centurion bestows on him the praise of righteousness, and pronounces him to be innocent, he likewise acknowledges him to be the Son of God; not that he understood distinctly how Christ was begotten by God the Father, but because he entertains no doubt that there is some divinity in him, and, convinced by proofs, holds it to be certain that Christ was not an ordinary man, but had been raised up by God.

As to the multitudes, by striving their breasts, they expressed the dread of punishment for a public crime, because they felt that public guilt had been contracted by an unjust and shocking murder. “Elles ont lamenté, craignans que malheur n’adveint sur tout le pays pour punition de ce qu’ils avoyent tous consenti à la condamnation et mort inique de Christ.” — “They lamented, fearing that something unhappy would befall their country, as a punishment for their having all consented to the condemnation and unjust death of Christ.” But as they went no farther, their lamentation was of no avail, unless, perhaps, in some persons it was the commencement or preparation of true repentance. And since nothing more is described to us than the lamentation which God drew from them to the glory of his Son, let us learn by this example, that it is of little importance, or of no importance at all, if a man is struck with terror, when he sees before his eyes the power of God, until, after the astonishment has been abated, the fear of God remains calmly in his heart.

55. And there were also many women there. I consider this to have been added in order to inform us that, while the disciples had fled and were scattered in every direction, still some of their company were retained by the Lord as witnesses. Now though the Apostle John did not depart from the cross, yet no mention is made of him; but praise is bestowed on the women alone, who accompanied Christ till death, because their extraordinary attachment to their Master was the more strikingly displayed, when the men fled trembling. For they must have been endued with extraordinary strength of attachment, since, though they could render him no service, they did not cease to treat him with reverence, even when exposed to the lowest disgrace. And yet we learn fromLuke that all the men had not fled; for he says that all his acquaintances stood at a distance. But not without reason do the Evangelists bestow the chief praise on the women, for they deserved the preference above the men. In my opinion, the implied contrast suggests a severe reproof of the apostles. I speak of the great body of them; for since only one remained, the three Evangelists, as I mentioned a little ago, take no notice of him. It was in the highest degree disgraceful to chosen witnesses to withdraw from that spectacle on which depended the salvation of the world. Accordingly, when they afterwards proclaimed the gospel, they must have borrowed from women the chief portion of the history. But if a remedy had not been miraculously prepared by Providence against a great evil, they would have deprived themselves, and us along with them, of the knowledge of redemption.

At first sight, we might think that the testimony of the women does not possess equal authority; but if we duly consider by what power of the Spirit they were supported against that temptation, we shall find that there is no reason why our faith should waver, since it rests on God, who is the real Author of their testimony. “Qui est à la verité l’Autheur de ce tesmoignage des femmes;” — “who is in reality the Author of this testimony of the women.” Yet let us observe, that it proceeded from the inconceivable goodness of God, that even to us should come that gospel which speaks of the expiation by which God has been reconciled to us. For during the general desertion of those who ought to have run before others, God encouraged some, out of the midst of the flock, who, recovering from the alarm, should be witnesses to us of that history, without the belief of which we cannot be saved. Of the women themselves, we shall presently have another opportunity of saying something. At present, it may be sufficient to take a passing notice of one point, that their eagerness for instruction led them to withdraw from their country, and constantly to learn from the lips of Christ, and that they spared neither toil nor money, provided that they might enjoy his saving doctrine.

MATTHEW 27:57-61; MARK 15:42-47; LUKE 23:50-56

Matthew 27:57-61

Mark 15:42-47

Luke 23:50-56

57. And when the evening was come, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself was a disciple of Jesus. 58. He went to Pilate, and requested the body of Jesus; then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. 59. And Joseph, having received the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth. 60. And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock, and having rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb, he departed. 61. And Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite to the sepulcher. 

42. And when it was now evening, (because it was the preparation, “Le jour de la preparation:” — “the day of the preparation.” which goes before the Sabbath,) 43. Joseph of Arimathea, an honorable counselor, who was also himself waiting for the kingdom of God, came and boldly went in to Pilate, and asked the body of Jesus. 44. And Pilate wondered if he were already dead; and having called to him the centurion, he asked him if he had been long dead. 45. And having ascertained it from the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph. 46. And he, having brought a linen cloth, took him down (from the cross, “De la croix.” ) and wrapped him in the linen cloth, and laid him in the tomb which had been hewn out of the rock; and rolled a stone to the door of the tomb. 47. And Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of Joses, saw where he was laid.

50. And, lo, a man named Joseph, a counselor, a good and righteous man, 51. Who had not consented to their decision, and to their deed; a native of Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who also himself waited for the kingdom of God. 52. He came to Pilate, and requested the body of Jesus. 53. And he took him down, and wrapped him in a linen cloth, and laid him in a tomb which had been hewn out in the rock, in which no man had ever been laid. 54. And it was the day of the preparation, and the Sabbath was approaching. 55. And the women who had come with him from Galilee followed, and saw the tomb, and how the body was laid. 56. And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments, and rested on the Sabbath, according to the commandment.

The burial of Christ is now added, as an intermediate transition from the ignominy of the cross to the glory of the resurrection. True, indeed, God determined, for another reason, that Christ should be buried, that it might be more fully attested that he suffered real death on our account. But yet it ought to be regarded as the principal design, that in this manner the cursing, which he had endured for a short time, began to be removed; for his body was not thrown into a ditch in the ordinary way, but honorably laid in a hewn sepulcher. Although at that time the weakness of the flesh was still visible, and the divine power of the Spirit was not clearly seen before his resurrection; yet God determined by this, as a sort of preparation, to shadow out what he was shortly afterwards to do, that he might exalt gloriously above the heavens his Son, the conqueror of death.

Matthew 27:57. And when the evening was come. Let it be understood that Joseph did not come in the dusk of the evening, but before sunset, that he might perform this office of kindness to his Master, without violating the Sabbath; for the Sabbath commenced in the evening, and therefore it was necessary that Christ should be laid in the grave before night came on. Now from the time that Christ died until the Sabbath began to be observed, there were three free days. And though John does not mention Joseph only, but joins Nicodemus as his companion, (19:39;) yet as he alone undertook the business at first, and as Nicodemus did no more than follow and join him, the three: Evangelists satisfied themselves with relating in a brief narrative what was done by Joseph alone.

Now though this affection of Joseph deserved uncommon praise, still we ought first to consider the providence of God, in subduing a man of high and honorable rank among his countrymen, to wipe away the reproach of the cross by the honor of burial. And, indeed, as he exposed himself to the dislike and hatred of the whole nation, and to great dangers, there can be no doubt that this singular courage arose from a secret movement of the Spirit; for though he had formerly been one of Christ’s disciples, yet he had never ventured to make a frank and open profession of his faith. When the death of Christ now presents to him a spectacle full of despair, and fitted to break the strongest minds, how comes he suddenly to acquire such noble courage that, amidst the greatest terrors, he feels no dread, and hesitates not to advance farther than he had ever done, when all was in peace? Let us know then that, when the Son of God was buried by the hand of Joseph, it was the work of God.

To the same purpose must also be referred the circumstances which are here detailed. Joseph’s piety and integrity of life are commended, that in the servant of God we may learn to recognize the work of God. The Evangelists relate that he was rich, in order to inform us that his amazing magnanimity of mind enabled him to rise superior to the obstruction which would otherwise have compelled him to retire. For rich men, being naturally proud, find nothing more difficult than to expose themselves voluntarily to the contempt of the people. Now we know how mean and disgraceful an act it was to receive from the hand of the executioner the body of a crucified man. Besides, as men devoted to riches are wont to avoid everything fitted to excite prejudice, the more eminent he was for wealth, the more cautious and timid he would have been, unless a holy boldness “Une saincte hardiesse.” had been imparted to him from heaven. The dignity of his rank is likewise mentioned, that he was a counselor, or senator, that in this respect also the power of God may be displayed; for it was not one of the lowest of the people that was employed to bury the body of Christ in haste and in concealment, but from a high rank of honor he was raised up to discharge this office. For the less credible it was that such an office of kindness should be performed towards Christ, the more clearly did it appear that the whole of this transaction was regulated by the purpose and hand of God.

We are taught by this example, that the rich are so far from being excusable, when they deprive Christ of the honor due to him: that they must be held to be doubly criminal, for turning into obstructions those circumstances which ought to have been excitements to activity. It is too frequent and customary, I acknowledge, for those who think themselves superior to others, to withdraw from the yoke, and to become soft and effeminate through excessive timidity and solicitude about their affairs. But we ought to view it in a totally different light; for if riches and honors do not aid us in the worship of God, we utterly abuse them. The present occurrence shows how easy it is for God to correct wicked fears by hindering us from doing our duty; since formerly Joseph did not venture to make an open profession of being a disciple of Christ, when matters were doubtful, but now, when the rage of enemies is at its height, and when their cruelty abounds, he gathers courage, and does not hesitate to incur manifest danger. We see then how the Lord in a moment forms the hearts to new feelings, and raises up by a spirit of fortitude those who had previously fainted. But if, through a holy desire to honor Christ, Joseph assumed such courage, while Christ was hanging on the cross, woe to our slothfulness, “Mandite soit nostre lascheté;” — “accursed be our sloth.” if, now that he has risen from the dead, an equal zeal, at least, to glorify him do not burn in our hearts.

Matthew 27:59. And having taken the body. The three Evangelists glance briefly at the burial; and therefore they say nothing about the aromatic ointments which John alone mentions, (19:39) only they relate that Joseph purchased a clean linen cloth; from which we infer, that Christ was honorably buried. And, indeed, there could be no doubt that a rich man, when he gave up his sepulcher to our Lord, made provision also, in other respects, for suitable magnificence and splendor. And this, too, was brought about by the secret providence of God, rather than by the premeditated design of men, that a new sepulcher, in which no man had ever yet been laid, was obtained by our Lord, who is the first-born from the dead, (Colossians 1:18,) and the first-fruits of them that rise, (1 Corinthians 15:20.) God intended, therefore, by this Mark to distinguish his Son from the remainder of the human race, and to point out by the sepulcher itself his newness of life.

61. And Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, were there. Matthew and Mark relate only that the women looked at what was done, and marked the place where the body was laid. But Luke states, at the same time, their resolution, which was, that they returned to the city, and prepared spices and ointments, that two days afterwards they might render due honor to the burial. Hence we learn that their minds were filled with a better odor, which the Lord breathed into his death, that he might bring them to his grave, and exalt them higher.

MATTHEW 27:62-66

Matthew 27:62-66

62. And the next day, which is after the preparation, “Qui est apres preparation du Sabbath;” — “which is after the preparation of the Sabbath.” the chief priests and Pharisees came to Pilate, 63. Saying, Sir, we remember that that impostor said, while he was still alive, After three days I shall rise again. 64. Command, therefore, that the sepulcher be made secure till the third day, lest perhaps his disciples come by night to steal him, and say to the people, He is risen from the dead; and the last error shall be worse than the first. 65. Pilate saith to them, You have a guard; go, make it as secure as you can. 66. And they went and made the sepulcher secures sealing the stone, and posting guards.

Matthew 27:62. And the next day. In this narrative Matthew did not so much intend to show with what determined rage the scribes and priests pursued Christ, as to exhibit to us, as in a mirror, the amazing providence of God in proving the resurrection of his Son. Cunning men, practiced at least in fraud and treachery, plot among themselves, and contrive a method by which they may extinguish the memory of a dead man; for they see that they have gained nothing, if they do not destroy the certainty of the resurrection. But while they are attempting to do this, they appear rather as if they had expressly intended to bring it forth to the light, that it might be known. The resurrection of Christ would undoubtedly have been less manifest, or, at least, they would have had more plausible grounds for denying it, if they had not taken pains to station witnesses at the sepulcher. We see then how the Lord not only disappointeth the crafty, (Job 5:12,) but employs even their own schemes as snares for holding them fast, that he may draw and compel them to render obedience to him. The enemies of Christ were indeed unworthy of having his resurrection made known to them; but it was proper that their insolence should be exposed, and every occasion of slander taken away from them, and that even their consciences should be convinced, so that they might not be held excusable for ignorance. Yet let us observe that God, as if he had hired them for the purpose, employed their services for rendering the glory of Christ more illustrious, because no plausible ground for lying, in order to deny it, was left to them when they found the grave empty; not that they desisted from their wicked rage, but with all persons of correct and sober judgment it was a sufficient testimony that Christ was risen, since his body, which had been placed in a grave, and protected by guards who surrounded it on all sides, was not to be found.

63. We remember that that impostor said. This thought was suggested to them by divine inspiration, not only that the Lord might execute upon them just vengeance for their wickedness, (as he always punishes bad consciences by secret torments,) but chiefly in order to restrain their unholy tongues. Yet we again perceive what insensibility seizes on wicked men, when they are bewitched by Satan. They go so far as to call him an impostor, whose divine power and glory were lately manifested by so many miracles. This certainly was not to defy the clouds, but to spit in the face of God, so to speak, by ridiculing the brightness of the sun. Such examples show us that we ought, with pious and modest thoughtfulness, to direct our attention early to the glory of God when it is presented to our view, that our hardness of heart may not lead us to brutal and dreadful blindness. Now though it may appear strange and absurd for wicked men to indulge in such wicked mockery over Christ when dead, that our minds may not be rendered uneasy by this licentiousness, we ought always to consider wisely the purpose to which the Lord turns it. Wicked men imagine that they will overwhelm the whole of the doctrine of Christ, together with his miracles, by that single blasphemy, which they haughtily vomit out; but God employs no other persons than themselves for vindicating his Son from all blame of imposture. Whenever these wicked men shall labor to overturn everything by their calumnies, and shall launch out into unmeasured slander, let us wait with composure and tranquillity of mind until God bring light out of darkness.

65. You have a guard. By these words, Pilate means that he grants their request by permitting them to post soldiers to keep watch. This, permission bound them more firmly, so that they could not escape by any evasion; for though they were not ashamed to break out against Christ after his resurrection, yet with Pilate’s signet they as truly shut their own mouths as they shut up the sepulcher.

MATTHEW 28:1-7; MARK 16:1-7; LUKE 24:1-8

Matthew 28:1-7

Mark 16:1-7

Luke 24:1-8

1. Now in the evening of the Sabbaths, “Ou, au bout du Sabbaths, comme le jour apparoissoit pour luire pour le premier de la semaine;” — “or, at the end of the Sabbath, as the day began to dawn for the first of the week.” which began to dawn towards the first of the Sabbaths, came Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, to see the sepulcher. 2. And lo, there was a great earthquake; for the angel of the Lord came down from heaven, and approached, and rolled away the stone from the door, and sat upon it. 3. And his countenance was like lightning, and his raiment was white as snow. 4. And through fear of him the guards trembled, and became as dead men. 5. But the angel answering, said to the women, Fear not; for I know that you seek Jesus, who was crucified. 6. He is not here; for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay: 7. And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, lo, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall you see him: lo, I have told you.

1. And when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary, the wife of James, and Salome, bought spices to come and anoint him. 2. And very early in the morning of the first day of the Sabaths, “Le premier des Sabbaths; ou, jour de la semaine;”—the first of the Sabbaths, or day of the week.” They come to the tomb at the rising of the sun. “Le soleil estant ja levé; ou, commençant à se lever, ou, n’estant encore levé;” — “the sun having already risen; or beginning to rise, or not having yet risen.” 3. And they said among themselves, Who shall roll away the stone for us from the door of the tomb? 4. And having looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away; for it was very great. 5. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a white robe; and they were afraid. 6. But he saith to them, Be not terrified: you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified; he is risen, he is not here: lo, the place where they laid him. 7. But go away, tell his disciples and Peter, that he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall you see him, as he said to you.

1. And on the first day of the Sabbaths, very early in the morning, they came to the tomb, carrying the spices which they had prepared, and some women with them. 2. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. 3. And having entered, they found not the body of the Lord Jesus. 4. And it happened, while they were in consternation on this account, lo, two men stood near them in shining garments. 5. And when the women were terrified, and bowed their face to the earth, they said to them, Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6. He is not here, but is risen: remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7. Saying, that the Son of man must be delivered into the hands of the wicked men, and be crucified and rise again on the third day. 8. And they remembered his words.

CHAPTER 27

Mt 27:1-10. Jesus Led Away to Pilate--Remorse and Suicide of Judas. ( =

Mr 15:1; Lu 23:1; Joh 18:28).

Jesus Led Away to Pilate (Mt 27:1, 2).

For the exposition of this portion, see on Joh 18:28, &c.

Remorse and Suicide of Judas (Mt 27:3-10).

This portion is peculiar to Matthew. On the progress of guilt in the traitor, see on Mr 14:1-11; Joh 13:21-30.

3. Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned--The condemnation, even though not unexpected, might well fill him with horror. But perhaps this unhappy man expected, that, while he got the bribe, the Lord would miraculously escape, as He had once and again done before, out of His enemies' power: and if so, his remorse would come upon him with all the greater keenness.

repented himself--but, as the issue too sadly showed, it was "the sorrow of the world, which worketh death" (2Co 7:10).

and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders--A remarkable illustration of the power of an awakened conscience. A short time before, the promise of this sordid pelf was temptation enough to his covetous heart to outweigh the most overwhelming obligations of duty and love; now, the possession of it so lashes him that he cannot use it, cannot even keep it!

4. Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood--What a testimony this to Jesus! Judas had been with Him in all circumstances for three years; his post, as treasurer to Him and the Twelve (Joh 12:6), gave him peculiar opportunity of watching the spirit, disposition, and habits of his Master; while his covetous nature and thievish practices would incline him to dark and suspicious, rather than frank and generous, interpretations of all that He said and did. If, then, he could have fastened on one questionable feature in all that he had so long witnessed, we may be sure that no such speech as this would ever have escaped his lips, nor would he have been so stung with remorse as not to be able to keep the money and survive his crime.

And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that--"Guilty or innocent is nothing to us: We have Him now--begone!" Was ever speech more hellish uttered?

5. And he cast down the pieces of silver--The sarcastic, diabolical reply which he had got, in place of the sympathy which perhaps he expected, would deepen his remorse into an agony.

in the temple--the temple proper, commonly called "the sanctuary," or "the holy place," into which only the priests might enter. How is this to be explained? Perhaps he flung the money in after them. But thus were fulfilled the words of the prophet--"I cast them to the potter in the house of the Lord" (Zec 11:13).

and departed, and went and hanged himself--For the details, see on Ac 1:18.

6. And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury--"the Corban," or chest containing the money dedicated to sacred purposes (see on Mt 15:5).

because it is the price of blood--How scrupulous now! But those punctilious scruples made them unconsciously fulfil the Scripture.

9. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying--(Zec 11:12, 13). Never was a complicated prophecy, otherwise hopelessly dark, more marvellously fulfilled. Various conjectures have been formed to account for Matthew's ascribing to Jeremiah a prophecy found in the book of Zechariah. But since with this book he was plainly familiar, having quoted one of its most remarkable prophecies of Christ but a few chapters before (Mt 21:4, 5), the question is one more of critical interest than real importance. Perhaps the true explanation is the following, from Lightfoot: "Jeremiah of old had the first place among the prophets, and hereby he comes to be mentioned above all the rest in Mt 16:14; because he stood first in the volume of the prophets (as he proves from the learned David Kimchi) therefore he is first named. When, therefore, Matthew produceth a text of Zechariah under the name of Jeremy, he only cites the words of the volume of the prophets under his name who stood first in the volume of the prophets. Of which sort is that also of our Saviour (Lu 24:41), 'All things must be fulfilled which are written of Me in the Law, and the Prophets, and the Psalms,' or the Book of Hagiographa, in which the Psalms were placed first."

Mt 27:11-26. Jesus Again before Pilate--He Seeks to Release Him but at Length Delivers Him to Be Crucified. ( = Mr 15:1-15; Lu 23:1-25; Joh 18:28-40).

For the exposition, see on Lu 23:1-25; Joh 18:28-40.

Mt 27:27-33. Jesus Scornfully and Cruelly Entreated of the Soldiers, Is Led Away to Be Crucified. ( = Mr 15:16-22; Lu 23:26-31; Joh 19:2, 17).

For the exposition, see on Mr 15:16-22.

Mt 27:34-50. Crucifixion and Death of the Lord Jesus. ( = Mr 15:25-37; Lu 23:33-46; Joh 19:18-30).

For the exposition, see on Joh 19:18-30.

Mt 27:51-66. Signs and Circumstances Following the Death of the Lord Jesus--He Is Taken Down from the Cross, and Buried--The Sepulchre Is Guarded. ( = Mr 15:38-47; Lu 23:47-56; Joh 19:31-42).

The Veil Rent (Mt 27:51).

51. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom--This was the thick and gorgeously wrought veil which was hung between the "holy place" and the "holiest of all," shutting out all access to the presence of God as manifested "from above the mercy seat and from between the cherubim"--"the Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest" (He 9:8). Into this holiest of all none might enter, not even the high priest, save once a year, on the great day of atonement, and then only with the blood of atonement in his hands, which he sprinkled "upon and before the mercy seat seven times" (Le 16:14)--to signify that access for sinners to a holy God is only through atoning blood. But as they had only the blood of bulls and of goats, which could not take away sins (He 10:4), during all the long ages that preceded the death of Christ the thick veil remained; the blood of bulls and of goats continued to be shed and sprinkled; and once a year access to God through an atoning sacrifice was vouchsafed--in a picture, or rather, was dramatically represented, in those symbolical actions--nothing more. But now, the one atoning Sacrifice being provided in the precious blood of Christ, access to this holy God could no longer be denied; and so the moment the Victim expired on the altar, that thick veil which for so many ages had been the dread symbol of separation between God and guilty men was, without a hand touching it, mysteriously "rent in twain from top to bottom"--"the Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was NOW made manifest!" How emphatic the statement, from top to bottom; as if to say, Come boldly now to the Throne of Grace; the veil is clean gone; the mercy seat stands open to the gaze of sinners, and the way to it is sprinkled with the blood of Him--"who through the eternal Spirit hath offered Himself without spot to God!" Before, it was death to go in, now it is death to stay out. See more on this glorious subject on He 10. 19-22.

An Earthquake--The Rocks Rent--The Graves Opened, that the Saints Which Slept in Them Might Come Forth after Their Lord's Resurrection (Mt 27:51-53).

51. and the earth did quake--From what follows it would seem that this earthquake was local, having for its object the rending of the rocks and the opening of the graves.

and the rocks rent--"were rent"--the physical creation thus sublimely proclaiming, at the bidding of its Maker, the concussion which at that moment was taking place in the moral world at the most critical moment of its history. Extraordinary rents and fissures have been observed in the rocks near this spot.

52. And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose--These sleeping saints (see on 1Th 4:14) were Old Testament believers, who--according to the usual punctuation in our version--were quickened into resurrection life at the moment of their Lord's death, but lay in their graves till His resurrection, when they came forth. But it is far more natural, as we think, and consonant with other Scriptures, to understand that only the graves were opened, probably by the earthquake, at our Lord's death, and this only in preparation for the subsequent exit of those who slept in them, when the Spirit of life should enter into them from their risen Lord, and along with Him they should come forth, trophies of His victory over the grave. Thus, in the opening of the graves at the moment of the Redeemer's expiring, there was a glorious symbolical proclamation that the death which had just taken place had "swallowed up death in victory"; and whereas the saints that slept in them were awakened only by their risen Lord, to accompany Him out of the tomb, it was fitting that "the Prince of Life ... should be the First that should rise from the dead" (Ac 26:23; 1Co 15:20, 23; Col 1:18; Re 1:5).

and went into the holy city--that city where He, in virtue of whose resurrection they were now alive, had been condemned.

and appeared unto many--that there might be undeniable evidence of their own resurrection first, and through it of their Lord's. Thus, while it was not deemed fitting that He Himself should appear again in Jerusalem, save to the disciples, provision was made that the fact of His resurrection should be left in no doubt. It must be observed, however, that the resurrection of these sleeping saints was not like those of the widow of Nain's son, of Jairus' daughter, of Lazarus, and of the man who "revived and stood upon his feet," on his dead body touching the bones of Elisha (2Ki 13:21)--which were mere temporary recallings of the departed spirit to the mortal body, to be followed by a final departure of it "till the trumpet shall sound." But this was a resurrection once for all, to life everlasting; and so there is no room to doubt that they went to glory with their Lord, as bright trophies of His victory over death.

The Centurion's Testimony (Mt 27:54).

54. Now when the centurion--the military superintendent of the execution.

and they that were with him watching Jesus, saw the earthquake--or felt it and witnessed its effects.

and those things that were done--reflecting upon the entire transaction.

they feared greatly--convinced of the presence of a Divine Hand.

saying, Truly this was the Son of God--There cannot be a reasonable doubt that this expression was used in the Jewish sense, and that it points to the claim which Jesus made to be the Son of God, and on which His condemnation expressly turned. The meaning, then, clearly is that He must have been what He professed to be; in other words, that He was no impostor. There was no medium between those two. See, on the similar testimony of the penitent thief--"This man hath done nothing amiss"--Luke 23. 41.

The Galilean Women (Mt 27:55, 56).

55. And many women were there beholding afar off, which followed Jesus--The sense here would be better brought out by the use of the pluperfect, "which had followed Jesus."

from Galilee, ministering unto him--As these dear women had ministered to Him during His glorious missionary tours in Galilee (see on Lu 8:1-3), so from this statement it should seem that they accompanied him and ministered to His wants from Galilee on His final journey to Jerusalem.

56. Among which was Mary Magdalene--(See on Lu 8:2).

and Mary the mother of James and Joses--the wife of Cleophas, or rather Clopas, and sister of the Virgin (Joh 19:25). See on Mt 13:55,56.

and the mother of Zebedee's children--that is, Salome: compare Mr 15:40. All this about the women is mentioned for the sake of what is afterwards to be related of their purchasing spices to anoint their Lord's body.

The Taking Down from the Cross and the Burial (Mt 27:57-60).

For the exposition of this portion, see on Joh 19:38-42.

The Women Mark the Sacred Spot that They Might Recognize It on Coming Thither to Anoint the Body (Mt 27:61).

61. And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary--"the mother of James and Joses," mentioned before (Mt 27:56).

sitting over against the sepulchre--(See on Mr 16:1).

The Sepulchre Guarded (Mt 27:62-66).

62. Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation--that is, after six o'clock of our Saturday evening. The crucifixion took place on the Friday and all was not over till shortly before sunset, when the Jewish sabbath commenced; and "that sabbath day was an high day" (Joh 19:31), being the first day of the feast of unleavened bread. That day being over at six on Saturday evening, they hastened to take their measures.

63. Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver--Never, remarks Bengel, will you find the heads of the people calling Jesus by His own name. And yet here there is betrayed a certain uneasiness, which one almost fancies they only tried to stifle in their own minds, as well as crush in Pilate's, in case he should have any lurking suspicion that he had done wrong in yielding to them.

said, while he was yet alive--Important testimony this, from the lips of His bitterest enemies, to the reality of Christ's death; the corner-stone of the whole Christian religion.

After three days--which, according to the customary Jewish way of reckoning, need signify no more than "after the commencement of the third day."

I will rise again--"I rise," in the present tense, thus reporting not only the fact that this prediction of His had reached their ears, but that they understood Him to look forward confidently to its occurring on the very day named.

64. Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure--by a Roman guard.

until the third day--after which, if He still lay in the grave, the imposture of His claims would be manifest to all.

and say unto the people, he is risen from the dead--Did they really fear this?

so the last error shall be worse than the first--the imposture of His pretended resurrection worse than that of His pretended Messiahship.

65. Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch--The guards had already acted under orders of the Sanhedrim, with Pilate's consent; but probably they were not clear about employing them as a night watch without Pilate's express authority.

go your way, make it as sure as ye can--as ye know how, or in the way ye deem securest. Though there may be no irony in this speech, it evidently insinuated that if the event should be contrary to their wish, it would not be for want of sufficient human appliances to prevent it.

66. So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone--which Mark (Mr 16:4) says was "very great."

and setting a watch--to guard it. What more could man do? But while they are trying to prevent the resurrection of the Prince of Life, God makes use of their precautions for His own ends. Their stone-covered, seal-secured sepulchre shall preserve the sleeping dust of the Son of God free from all indignities, in undisturbed, sublime repose; while their watch shall be His guard of honor until the angels shall come to take their place.

When the morning was come - As soon as it was light - took counsel against Jesus. They had begun this counsel the preceding evening, see Mat 26:59. But as it was contrary to all forms of law to proceed against a person's life by night, they seem to have separated for a few hours, and then, at the break of day, came together again, pretending to conduct the business according to the forms of law.

To put him to death - They had already determined his death, and pronounced the sentence of death on him; Mat 26:66. And now they assemble under the pretense of reconsidering the evidence, and deliberating on it, to give the greater appearance of justice to their conduct. They wished to make it appear that "they had taken ample time to consider of it, and, from the fullest conviction, by the most satisfactory and conclusive evidence, they had now delivered him into the hands of the Romans, to meet that death to which they had adjudged him."

They - delivered him to Pontius Pilate - The Sanhedrin had the power of life and death in their own hands in every thing that concerned religion; but as they had not evidence to put Christ to death because of false doctrine, they wished to give countenance to their conduct by bringing in the civil power, and therefore they delivered him up to Pilate as one who aspired to regal dignities, and whom he must put to death, if he professed to be Caesar's friend. Pontius Pilate governed Judea ten years under the Emperor Tiberius; but, having exercised great cruelties against the Samaritans, they complained of him to the emperor, in consequence of which he was deposed, and sent in exile to Vienna, in Dauphiny, where he killed himself two years after.

Judas - when he saw that he was condemned, repented - There is much of the wisdom and goodness of God to be seen in this part of Judas's conduct. Had our Lord been condemned to death on the evidence of one of his own disciples, it would have furnished infidels with a strong argument against Christ and the Christian religion. "One of his own disciples, knowing the whole imposture, declared it to the Jewish rulers, in consequence of which he was put to death as an impostor and deceiver." But the traitor, being stung with remorse, came and acknowledged his crime, and solemnly declared the innocence of his Master, threw back the money which they gave him to induce him to do this villainous act; and, to establish the evidence which he now gave against them and himself, in behalf of the innocence of Christ, hanged himself, or died through excessive grief and contrition. Thus the character of Christ was rescued from all reproach; infidelity deprived of the power to cry "imposture!" and the Jewish rulers overwhelmed with eternal infamy. If it should ever be said, "One who knew him best delivered him up as an impostor," - to this it may be immediately answered, "The same person, struck with remorse, came and declared his own guilt, and Christ's innocence; accused and convicted the Jewish rulers, in the open council, of having hired him to do this iniquitous action, threw them back the bribe they had given him, and then hanged himself through distress and despair, concluding his iniquity in this business was too great to be forgiven." Let him who chooses, after this plenary evidence to the innocence of Christ, continue the objection, and cry out imposture! take heed that he go not and do Likewise. Caiaphas, Pilate, and Judas have done so already, and I have known several, who have called Christ an impostor, who have cut their own throats, shot, drowned, or hanged themselves. God is a jealous God, and highly resents every thing that is done and said against that eternal truth that came to man through Jesus Christ, by the Holy Spirit. Indeed, there is one class of Deists, viz. those who are vicious in their lives, and virulent in their opposition to Christianity, who generally bring themselves to an untimely end.

Innocent blood - Αιμα αθωον, a Hebraism, for an innocent man. But instead of αθωον, innocent, two ancient MSS., Syriac, Vulgate, Sahidic, Armenian, and all the Itala; Origen, Cyprian, Lucifer, Ambrose, Leo, read δικαιον, righteous, or just.

What is that to us? - What is it? - A great deal. You should immediately go and reverse the sentence you have pronounced, and liberate the innocent person. But this would have been justice, and that would have been a stranger at their tribunal.

In the temple - Ναος signifies, properly, the temple itself, into which none but the priests were permitted to enter; therefore εν τῳ ναῳ must signify, near the temple, by the temple door, where the boxes stood to receive the free-will offerings of the people, for the support and repairs of the sacred edifice. See this amply proved by Kypke.

Hanged himself - Or was strangled - απηγξατο. Some eminent critics believe that he was only suffocated by excessive grief, and thus they think the account here given will agree with that in Act 1:18. Mr. Wakefield supports this meaning of the word with great learning and ingenuity. I have my doubts - the old method of reconciling the two accounts appears to me quite plausible - he went and strangled himself, and the rope breaking, he fell down, and by the violence of the fall his body was bursted, and his bowels gushed out. I have thought proper, on a matter of such difficulty, to use the word strangled, as possessing a middle meaning between choking or suffocation by excessive grief, and hanging, as an act of suicide. See the note on Mat 10:4. Dr. Lightfoot is of opinion that the devil caught him up into the air, strangled him, and threw him down on the ground with violence, so that his body was burst, and his guts shed out! This was an ancient tradition.

The treasury - Κορβαναν - the place whither the people brought their free-will offerings for the service of the temple, so called from the Hebrew קרבן korban, An Offering, from קרב karab, he drew nigh, because the person who brought the gift came nigh to that place where God manifested his glory between the cherubim, over the mercy-seat in the most holy place. It is from this idea that the phrase to draw nigh to God is taken, which is so frequently used in the sacred writings.

Because it is the price of blood - "What hypocrites, as one justly exclaims, to adjudge an innocent man to death, and break the eternal laws of justice and mercy without scruple, and to be, at the same time, so very nice in their attention to a ceremonial direction of the law of Moses! Thus it is that the devil often deludes many, even among the priests, by a false and superstitious tenderness or conscience in things indifferent, while calumny, envy, oppression of the innocent, and a conformity to the world, give them no manner of trouble or disturbance." See Quesnel.

To bury strangers in - Τοις ξενοις, the strangers, probably meaning, as some learned men conjecture, the Jewish strangers who might have come to Jerusalem, either to worship, or on some other business, and died there during their stay. See here, the very money for which the blessed Jesus was sold becomes subservient to the purpose of mercy and kindness! The bodies of strangers have a place of rest in the field purchased by the price at which his life was valued, and the souls of strangers and foreigners have a place of rest and refuge in his blood which was shed as a ransom price for the salvation of the whole world.

The field of blood - In vain do the wicked attempt to conceal themselves; God makes them instrumental in discovering their own wickedness. Judas, by returning the money, and the priests, by laying it out, raise to themselves an eternal monument - the one of his treachery, the others of their perfidiousness, and both of the innocence of Jesus Christ. As, long as the Jewish polity continued, it might be said, "This is the field that was bought from the potter with the money which Judas got from the high priests for betraying his Master; which he, in deep compunction of spirit, brought back to them, and they bought this ground for a burial-place for strangers: for as it was the price of the blood of an innocent man, they did not think proper to let it rest in the treasury of the temple where the traitor had thrown it, who afterwards, in despair, went and hanged himself." What a standing proof must this have been of the innocence of Christ, and of their perfidy!

Jeremy the prophet - The words quoted here are not found in the Prophet Jeremiah, but in Zac 11:13. But St. Jerome says that a Hebrew of the sect of the Nazarenes showed him this prophecy in a Hebrew apocryphal copy of Jeremiah; but probably they were inserted there only to countenance the quotation here.

One of Colbert's, a MS. of the eleventh century, has Ζαχαριου, Zechariah; so has the later Syriac in the margin, and a copy of the Arabic quoted by Bengel. In a very elegant and correct MS. of the Vulgate, in my possession, written in the fourteenth century, Zachariam is in the margin, and Jeremiam in the text, but the former is written by a later hand. Jeremiah is wanting in two MSS., the Syriac, later Persic, two of the Itala, and in some other Latin copies. It is very likely that the original reading was δια τοι προφητου, and the name of no prophet mentioned. This is the more likely, as Matthew often omits the name of the prophet in his quotations. See Mat 1:22; Mat 2:5, Mat 2:15; Mat 13:35; Mat 21:4. Bengel approves of the omission.

It was an ancient custom among the Jews, says Dr. Lightfoot, to divide the Old Testament into three parts: the first beginning with the law was called The Law; the second beginning with the Psalms was called The Psalms; the third beginning with the prophet in question was called Jeremiah: thus, then, the writings of Zechariah and the other prophets being included in that division that began with Jeremiah, all quotations from it would go under the name of this prophet. If this be admitted, it solves the difficulty at once. Dr. Lightfoot quotes Baba Bathra, and Rabbi David Kimchi's preface to the prophet Jeremiah, as his authorities; and insists that the word Jeremiah is perfectly correct as standing at the head of that division from which the evangelist quoted, and which gave its denomination to all the rest. But Jeremiah is the reading in several MSS. of the Coptic. It is in one of the Coptic Dictionaries in the British Museum, and in a Coptic MS. of Jeremiah, in the library of St. Germain. So I am informed by the Rev. Henry Tattam, Rector of St Cuthbert's, Bedford.

Before the governor - My old MS. English Bible translates ηγημων Meyr cheef justyse, Presedent.

Art thou the King of the Jews? - The Jews had undoubtedly delivered him to Pilate as one who was rising up against the imperial authority, and assuming the regal office. See on Mat 27:2 (note).

He answered nothing - An answer to such accusations was not necessary: they sufficiently confuted themselves.

Marveled greatly - Silence under calumny manifests the utmost magnanimity. The chief priests did not admire this because it confounded them; but Pilate, who had no interest to serve by it, was deeply affected. This very silence was predicted. Isa 53:7.

The governor was wont to release - Whence this custom originated among the Jews is not known, - probably it was introduced by the Romans themselves, or by Pilate, merely to oblige the Jews, by showing them this public token of respect; but if it originated with him, he must have had the authority of Augustus; for the Roman laws never gave such discretionary power to any governor.

A notable prisoner - Barabbas - This person had, a short time before, raised an insurrection in Jerusalem, in which it appears, from Mar 15:7, some lives were lost. In some MSS., and in the Armenian and Syriac Hieros., this man has the surname of Jesus. Professor Birch has discovered this reading in a Vatican MS., written in 949, and numbered 354, in which is a marginal note which has been attributed to Anastasius, bishop of Antioch, and to Chrysostom, which asserts that in the most ancient MSS. the passage was as follows: - Τινα θελετε απο των δυω απολυσω υμιν, ΙΝ τον βαραββαν, η ΙΝ τον λεγομενον ΧΝ: Which of the two do ye wish me to release unto you, Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ? As Jesus, or Joshua, was a very common name among the Jews, and as the name of the father was often joined to that of the son, as Simon Barjonah, Simon, son of Jonah; so it is probable it was the case here, Jesus Barabba, Jesus, son of Abba, or Abbiah. If this name were originally written as above, which I am inclined to believe, the general omission of Jesus in the MSS. may be accounted for from the over zealous scrupulosity of Christian copyists, who were unwilling that a murderer should, in the same verse, be honored with the name of the Redeemer of the world. See Birch in New Test.

For envy - Δια φθονον, through malice. Then it was his business, as an upright judge, to have dispersed this mob, and immediately released Jesus.

Seeing malice is capable of putting even Christ himself to death, how careful should we be not to let the least spark of it harbor in our breast. Let it be remembered that malice as often originates from envy as it does from anger.

I have suffered many things - in a dream - There is no doubt that God had appeared unto this woman, testifying the innocence of Christ, and showing the evils which should pursue Pilate if this innocent blood should be shed by his authority. See Mat 27:2.

Ask Barabbas - Who had raised an insurrection and committed murder - and to destroy Jesus, whose voice was never heard in their streets, and who had, during the space of three years and a half, gone about unweariedly, from village to village, instructing the ignorant, healing the diseased, and raising the dead.

They said, Barabbas - What a fickle crowd! A little before they all hailed him as the Son of David, and acknowledged him as a gift from God; now they prefer a murderer to him! But this it appears they did at the instigation of the chief priests. We see here how dangerous wicked priests are in the Church of Christ; when pastors are corrupt, they are capable of inducing their flock to prefer Barabbas to Jesus, the world to God, and the pleasures of sense to the salvation of their souls. The invidious epithet which a certain statesman gave to the people at large was, in its utmost latitude, applicable to these Jews, - they were a Swinish Multitude.

What shall I do then with Jesus? - Showing, hereby, that it was his wish to release him.

What evil hath he done? - Pilate plainly saw that there was nothing laid to his charge for which, consistently with the Roman laws, he could condemn him.

But they cried out the more - What strange fury and injustice! They could not answer Pilate's question, What evil hath he done? He had done none, and they knew he had done none; but they are determined on his death.

Pilate - took water, and washed his hands - Thus signifying his innocence. It was a custom among the Hebrews, Greeks, and Latins, to wash the hands in token of innocence, and to show that they were pure from any imputed guilt. In case of an undiscovered murder, the elders of that city which was nearest to the place where the dead body was found, were required by the law, Deu 21:1-10, to wash their hands over the victim which was offered to expiate the crime, and thus make public protestation of their own innocence. David says, I will wash my hands in innocence, so shall I compass thine altar, Psa 26:6. As Pilate knew Christ was innocent, he should have prevented his death: he had the armed force at his command, and should have dispersed this infamous mob. Had he been charged with countenancing a seditious person, he could have easily cleared himself, had the matter been brought before the emperor. He, therefore, was inexcusable.

His blood be on us and on our children - If this man be innocent, and we put him to death as a guilty person, may the punishment due to such a crime be visited upon us, and upon our children after us! What a dreadful imprecation! and how literally fulfilled! The notes on chap. 24, will show how they fell victims to their own imprecation, being visited with a series of calamities unexampled in the history of the world. They were visited with the same kind of punishment; for the Romans crucified them in such numbers when Jerusalem was taken, that there was found a deficiency of crosses for the condemned, and of places for the crosses. Their children or descendants have had the same curse entailed upon them, and continue to this day a proof of the innocence of Christ, the truth of his religion, and of the justice of God.

Scourged Jesus - This is allowed to have been a very severe punishment of itself among the Romans, the flesh being generally cut by the whips used for this purpose: so the poet: - - Horribili Sectere flagello. "To be cut by the horrible whip."

Hor. Sat. I. 3. 119.

And sometimes it seems, they were whipped to death.

See the same poet, Sat. I. 2. 41. - Ille Flagellis Ad Mortem caesus

See also Horat. Epod. od. iv. v. 11.

It has been thought that Pilate might have spared this additional cruelty of whipping; but it appears that it was a common custom to scourge those criminals which were to be crucified, (see Josephus De Bello, lib. ii. c. 25), and lenity in Christ's case is not to be allowed; he must take all the misery in full tale.

Delivered him to be crucified - Tacitus, the Roman historian, mentions the death of Christ in very remarkable terms: -

Nero - quaesitissimis poenis is affecit, quos - vulgus Christianos appellabat. Auctor nominis ejus Christus, qui Tiberio imperitante, per Procuratorem Pontium Pilatum supplicio affectus erat. - "Nero put those who commonly went by the name of Christians to the most exquisite tortures. The author of this name was Christ, who was capitally punished in the reign of Tiberius, by Pontius Pilate the Procurator."

The common hall - Or, praetorium. Called so from the praetor, a principal magistrate among the Romans, whose business it was to administer justice in the absence of the consul. This place night be termed in English the court house, or common hall.

Stripped him - Took off his mantle, or upper garment.

A scarlet robe - Or, according to Mark and John, a purple robe, such as emperors and kings wore.

A crown of thorns - Στεφανον εξ ακανθων. It does not appear that this crown was intended to be an instrument of punishment or torture to his head, but rather to render him ridiculous; for which cause also they put a reed in his hand, by way of scepter, and bowed their knees, pretending to do him homage. The crown was not probably of thorns, in our sense of the word: there are eminently learned men who think that the crown was formed of the herb acanthus; and Bishop Pearce and Michaelis are of this opinion. Mark, Mar 15:17, and John, Joh 19:5, term it, Ϛεφανον ακανθινον, which may very well be translated an acanthine crown or wreath, formed out of the branches of the herb acanthus, or bear's foot. This, however, is a prickly plant, though nothing like thorns, in the common meaning of that word. Many Christians have gone astray in magnifying the sufferings of Christ from this circumstance; and painters, the worst of all commentators, frequently represent Christ with a crown of long thorns, which one standing by is striking into his head with a stick. These representations engender ideas both false and absurd.

There is a passage produced from Philo by Dr. Lardner, which casts much light on these indignities offered to our blessed Lord. "Caligula, the successor of Tiberius, gave Agrippa the tetrarchy of his uncle Philip, with the right of wearing a diadem or crown. When he came to Alexandria, on his way to his tetrarchate, the inhabitants of that place, filled with envy at the thoughts of a Jew having the title of king, showed their indignation in the following way. They brought one Carabus (a sort of an idiot) into the theater; and, having placed him on a lofty seat, that he might be seen by all, they put a diadem upon his head, made of the herb byblos, (the ancient papyrus, or paper flag); his body they covered with a mat or carpet, instead of a royal cloak. One seeing a piece of reed, παπυρου (the stem, probably, of the aforesaid herb) lying on the ground, picked it up, and put it in his hand in place of a scepter. Having thus given him a mock royal dress, several young fellows, with poles on their shoulders, came and stood on each side of him as his guards. Then there came people, some to pay their homage to him, some to ask justice, and some to consult him on affairs of state and the crowd that stood round about made a confused noise, crying, Mario, that being, as they say, the Syriac word for Lord; thereby showing that they intended to ridicule Agrippa, who was a Syrian." See Philo, Flace. p. 970, and Dr. Lardner, Works, vol. i. p. 159.

There is the most remarkable coincidence between this account and that given by the evangelists; and the conjecture concerning the acanthus will probably find no inconsiderable support from the byblos and papyrus of Philo. This plant, Pliny says, grows to ten cubits long in the stem and the flowers were used ad deos coronandos, for Crowning The Gods. See Hist. Nat. lib. xiii. c. 11.

The reflections of pious Quesnel on these insults offered to our blessed Lord merit serious attention. "Let the crown of thorns make those Christians blush who throw away so much time, pains, and money, in beautifying and adorning a sinful head. Let the world do what it will to render the royalty and mysteries of Christ contemptible, it is my glory to serve a King thus debased; my salvation, to adore that which the world despises; and my redemption, to go unto God through the merits of him who was crowned with thorns."

And they spit upon him - "Let us pay our adoration," says the same pious writer, "and humble ourselves in silence at the sight of a spectacle which faith alone renders credible, and which our senses would hardly endure. Jesus Christ, in this condition, preaches to the kings of the earth this truth - that their scepters are but reeds, with which themselves shall be smitten, bruised, and crushed at his tribunal, if they do not use them here to the advancement of his kingdom."

A man of Cyrene - him they compelled to bear his cross - In John, Joh 19:16, Joh 19:17, we are told Christ himself bore the cross, and this, it is likely, he did for a part of the way; but, being exhausted with the scourging and other cruel usage which he had received, he was found incapable of bearing it alone; therefore they obliged Simon, not, I think, to bear it entirely, but to assist Christ, by bearing a part of it. It was a constant practice among the Romans, to oblige criminal to bear their cross to the place of execution: insomuch that Plutarch makes use of it as an illustration of the misery of vice. "Every kind of wickedness produces its own particular torment, just as every malefactor, when he is brought forth to execution, carries his own cross." See Lardner's Credib. vol. i. p. 160.

A place called Golgotha - From the Hebrew גלגתה or גלגלת, golgoleth, a skull, probably so called from the many skulls of these who had suffered crucifixion and other capital punishments scattered up and down in the place. It is the same as Calvary, Calvaria, i.e. calvi capitis area, the place of bare skulls. Some think the place was thus called, because it was in the form of a human skull. It is likely that it was the place of public execution, similar to the Gemoniae Scalae at Rome.

They gave him vinegar - mingled with gall - Perhaps χολη, commonly translated gall, signifies no more than bitters of any kind. It was a common custom to administer a stupefying potion compounded of sour wine, which is the same as vinegar, from the French vinaigre, frankincense, and myrrh, to condemned persons, to help to alleviate their sufferings, or so disturb their intellect that they might not be sensible of them. The rabbins say that they put a grain of frankincense into a cup of strong wine; and they ground this on Pro 31:6 : Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, i.e. who is condemned to death. Some person, out of kindness, appears to have administered this to our blessed Lord; but he, as in all other cases, determining to endure the fullness of pain, refused to take what was thus offered to him, choosing to tread the winepress alone. Instead of οξος, vinegar, several excellent MSS. and versions have οινον, wine; but as sour wine is said to have been a general drink of the common people and Roman soldiers, it being the same as vinegar, it is of little consequence which reading is here adopted. This custom of giving stupefying potions to condemned malefactors is alluded to in Pro 31:6 : Give strong drink, שקר shekar, inebriating drink, to him who is ready to Perish, and wine to him who is Bitter of soul - because he is just going to suffer the punishment of death. And thus the rabbins, as we have seen above, understand it. See Lightfoot and Schoettgen.

Michaelis offers an ingenious exposition of this place: "Immediately after Christ was fastened to the cross, they gave him, according to Mat 27:34, vinegar mingled with gall; but, according to Mark, they offered him wine mingled with myrrh. That St. Mark's account is the right one is probable from this circumstance, that Christ refused to drink what was offered him, as appears from both evangelists. Wine mixed with myrrh was given to malefactors at the place of execution, to intoxicate them, and make them less sensible to pain. Christ, therefore, with great propriety, refused the aid of such remedies. But if vinegar was offered him, which was taken merely to assuage thirst, there could be no reason for his rejecting it. Besides, he tasted it before he rejected it; and therefore he must have found it different from that which, if offered to him, he was ready to receive. To solve this difficulty, we must suppose that the words used in the Hebrew Gospel of St. Matthew were such as agreed with the account given by St. Mark, and at the same time were capable of the construction which was put on them by St. Matthew's Greek translator. Suppose St. Matthew wrote חליא במרירא (chaleea bemireera) which signifies, sweet wine with bitters, or sweet wine and myrrh, as we find it in Mark; and Matthew's translator overlooked the yod י in חליא (chaleea) he took it for חלא (chala) which signifies vinegar; and bitter, he translated by χολη, as it is often used in the Septuagint. Nay, St. Matthew may have written חלא, and have still meant to express sweet wine; if so, the difference only consisted in the points; for the same word which, when pronounced chale, signifies sweet, denotes vinegar, as soon as it is pronounced chala."

With this conjecture Dr. Marsh (Michaelis's translator) is not satisfied; and therefore finds a Chaldee word for οινος wine, which may easily be mistaken for one that denotes οξος vinegar; and likewise a Chaldee word, which signifies σμυρνα, (myrrh), which may be easily mistaken for one that denotes χολη, (gall). "Now," says he, "חמר (chamar) or חמרא (chamera) really denotes οινος (wine), and חמץ (chamets) or חמצא (charnetsa) really denotes οξος (vinegar). Again, מורא (mura) really signifies σμυρνα (myrrh), and מררא (murera) really signifies χολη (gall). If, then, we suppose that the original Chaldee text was חמרא הליט במורא (chamera heleet bemura) wine mingled with myrrh, which is not at all improbable, as it is the reading of the Syriac version, at Mar 15:23, it might easily have been mistaken for חמצא הליט במררא (chametsa haleet bemurera) vinegar mingled with gall." This is a more ingenious conjecture than that of Michaelis. See Marsh's notes to Michaelis, vol. iii., part 2d. p. 127-28. But as that kind of sour wine, which was used by the Roman soldiers and common people, appears to have been termed οινος, and vin aigre is sour wine, it is not difficult to reconcile the two accounts, in what is most material to the facts here recorded.

And they crucified him - Crucifixion properly means the act of nailing or tying to a cross. The cross was made of two beams, either crossing at the top at right angles, like a T, or in the middle of their length, like an X. There was, besides, a piece on the center of the transverse beam, to which the accusation or statement of the crime of the culprit was attached, and a piece of wood which projected from the middle, on which the person sat, as on a sort of saddle; and by which the whole body was supported. Tertullian mentions this particularly: Nobis, says he, tota crux imputatur, cum antenna scilicet sua, et cum illo Sedills excessu. Advers. Nationes, lib. ii. Justin Martyr, in his dialogue with Trypho the Jew, gives precisely the same description of the cross; and it is worthy of observation that both he and Tertullian flourished before the punishment of the cross had been abolished. The cross on which our Lord suffered was of the former kind; being thus represented in all old monuments, coins, and crosses. St. Jerome compares it to a bird flying, a man swimming, or praying with his arms extended. The punishment of the cross was inflicted among the ancient Hindoos from time immemorial for various species of theft; see Halhead's Code of Gentoo Laws, p. 248, and was common among the Syrians, Egyptians, Persians, Africans, Greeks, and Romans: it is also still in use among the Chinese, who do not nail, but tie the criminal to it. It was probably the Romans who introduced it among the Jews. Before they became subject to the Romans, they used hanging or gibbeting, but not the cross. This punishment was the most dreadful of all others, both for the shame and pain of it: and so scandalous, that it was inflicted as the last mark of detestation upon the vilest of people. It was the punishment of robbers and murderers, provided they were slaves; but if they were free, it was thought too infamous a punishment for such, let their crimes be what they might.

The body of the criminal was fastened to the upright beam, by nailing or tying the feet to it, and on the transverse piece by nailing, and sometimes tying the hands to it. As the hands and feet are the grand instruments of motion, they are provided with a greater quantity of nerves; and the nerves in those places, especially the hands, are peculiarly sensible. Now, as the nerves are the instruments of all sensation or feeling, wounds in the parts where they abound must be peculiarly painful; especially when inflicted with such rude instruments as large nails, forced through the places by the violence of a hammer; thus tearing asunder the nervous fibrillae, delicate tendons, and small bones of those parts. This punishment will appear dreadful enough, when it is considered that the person was permitted to hang (the whole weight of his body being borne up by his nailed hands and the projecting piece which passed between the thighs) till he perished through agony and lack of food. Some, we are informed, have lived three whole days in this state. It is true that, in some cases, there was a kind of mercy shown to the sufferer, which will appear sufficiently horrid, when it is known that it consisted in breaking the bones of their legs and thighs to pieces with a large hammer, in order to put them the sooner out of pain! Such a coup de grace as this could only spring from those tender mercies of the wicked which God represents as cruelty itself. Some were permitted to hang on the cross till eaten up by birds of prey, which often began to tear them before life was extinct. Horace alludes to this punishment, and from what he says, it seems to have been inflicted on slaves, etc., not on trifling occasions, but for the most horrible crimes.

Si quis eum servum, patinam qui tollere jussus

Semesos pisces tepidumque ligurrierit jus,

In Cruce suffigat.

Hor. Satyr. l. i. s. 3. v. 80

If a poor slave who takes away your plate,

Lick the warm sauce, or half cold fragments eat,

Yet should you crucify the wretch!

Francis

Non hominem occidi: non pasces in Cruce corvos. "I have not committed murder:

Then thou shalt not be nailed to the cross, to feed the ravens."

Hor. Epist. l. i. s. 16. v. 48.

The anguish occasioned by crucifixion was so intense, that crucio, (a cruce), among the Romans, was the common word by which they expressed suffering and torment in general.

And parted his garments, casting lots - These were the Roman soldiers, who had crucified him: and it appears from this circumstance, that in those ancient times the spoils of the criminal were claimed by the executioners, as they are to the present day. It appears that they divided a part, and cast lots for the rest: viz. for his seamless coat, Joh 19:23, Joh 19:24.

That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots - The whole of this quotation should be omitted, as making no part originally of the genuine text of this evangelist. It is omitted by almost every MS. of worth and importance, by almost all the versions, and the most reputable of the primitive fathers, who have written or commented on the place. The words are plainly an interpolation, borrowed from Joh 19:24, in which place they will be properly noticed.

They watched him - To prevent his disciples or relatives from taking away the body or affording any relief to the sufferer.

His accusation - It was a common custom to affix a label to the cross, giving a statement of the crime for which the person suffered. This is still the case in China, when a person is crucified. Sometimes a person was employed to carry this before the criminal, while going to the place of punishment.

It is with much propriety that Matthew calls this αιτια, accusation; for it was false that ever Christ pretended to be King Of The Jews, in the sense the inscription held forth: he was accused of this, but there was no proof of the accusation; however it was affixed to the cross. From Joh 19:21, we find that the Jews wished this to be a little altered: Write, said they, that He said, l am king of the Jews; thus endeavoring, by the addition of a vile lie, to countenance their own conduct in putting him to death. But this Pilate refused to do. Both Luke, Luk 23:38, and John, Joh 19:20, say that this accusation was written in Greek, Latin, and Hebrew. In those three languages, we may conceive the label to stand thus, according to the account given by St. John; the Hebrew being the mixed dialect then spoken.

In Hebrew - ΕβραΐϚι: ישוע נצריא מלכא דיהודיא

In Greek - ΕλληνιϚι: ΙΗΣΟΥΣ Ο ΝΑΖΩΡΑΙΟΣ Ο ΒΑΣΙΛΕΥΕ ΤΩΝ ΙΟΥΔΑΙΩΝ

In Latin - ΡωμαΐϚι:

IESUS NAZARENUS REX IUDAEORUM

It is only necessary to observe, that all the letters, both of the Greek and Roman alphabets, were those now called square or uncial, similar to these above.

Two thieves - ΛῃϚαι, robbers, or cutthroats: men who had committed robbery and murder; for it does not appear that persons were crucified for robbery only. Thus was our Lord numbered (his name enrolled, placed as it were in the death warrant) with transgressors, according to the prophetic declaration, Isa 53:12; and the Jews placed him between these two, perhaps to intimate that he was the worst felon of the three.

Wagging their heads - In token of contempt.

Thou that destroyest - Who didst pretend that thou couldst have destroyed the temple, and built it up again in three days. This malicious torturing of our Lord's words has been noticed before. Cruelty is obliged to take refuge in lies, in order to vindicate its infamous proceedings.

If thou be the Son of God - Or rather, Υἱος του Θεου A son of God, i.e. a peculiar favorite of the Most-High; not Ὁ Υἱος του Θεου, The Son of God. "It is not to be conceived," says a learned man, "that every passenger who was going to the city had a competent knowledge of Christ's supernatural conception by the Holy Spirit, or an adequate comprehension of his character as the Messiah, and (κατ' εξοχην) The Son Of God. There is not a single passage where Jesus is designed to be pointed out as the Messiah, The Son Of God, where the article is omitted: nor, on the other hand, is this designation ever specified without the article, thus, 'Ὁ Υἱος του Θεου. See Mat 16:16; Mat 26:63; Mat 28:19."

Chief priests - scribes and elders - To these, several ancient MSS. and versions add, και Φαρισαιων, and Pharisees. But though the authority for this reading is respectable, yet it does not appear that the Pharisees joined in with the others in the condemnation of our Lord. Probably his discourses and parables, related in some of the preceding chapters, which were spoken directly to them, had so far convinced them that they would at least have no hand in putting him to death. All the infamy of this seems to fall upon the Priests, scribes, and elders.

He saved others; himself he cannot save - Or, Cannot he save himself? Several MSS. read this with the mark of interrogation as above; and this makes the sarcasm still more keen.

A high priest who designs to destroy the temple of God: a Savior who saves not himself; and the Son of God crucified: these are the contradictions which give offense to Jews and libertines. But a high priest who dispels the types and shadows, only that he may disclose the substance of religion, and become the minister of a heavenly sanctuary; a Savior who dies only to be the victim of salvation; and the Son of God who confines his power within the bounds of the cross to establish the righteousness of faith: this is what a Christian adores; this is the foundation of his hope, and the fountain of his present comfort and final blessedness. See Quesnel.

We will believe him - Instead of αυτῳ, him, many excellent MSS. have επ' αυτῳ, In him: this is a reading which Griesbach and other eminent critics have adopted.

If he will have him - Or, if he delight in him - ει θελει αυτον. The verbs θελω and εθελω, are used by the Septuagint in more than forty places for the Hebrew חפץ chaphets, which signifies, earnestly to desire, or delight in. Now as this is a quotation from Psa 22:8, He trusted in the Lord, that he would deliver him; let him deliver him, (כי חפץ בו ki chaphets bo), for he Hath Delighted In Him: - ὁτι θελει αυτον, Sept. This will sufficiently vindicate the above translation; as the evangelist quotes the words from that version, with the simple change of ει, if, for ὁτι, because.

The thieves also - cast the same in his teeth - That is, one of the robbers; for one, we find, was a penitent, Luk 23:39, Luk 23:40. See this form of expression accounted for, on Mat 26:8 (note).

There was darkness over all the land - I am of opinion that πασαν την γην does not mean all the world, but only the land of Judea. So the word is used Mat 24:30; Luk 4:25, and in other places. Several eminent critics are of this opinion: Beza defends this meaning of the word, and translates the Greek, super universam Regionem over the whole Country. Besides, it is evident that the evangelists speak of things that happened in Judea, the place of their residence. It is plain enough there was a darkness in Jerusalem, and over all Judea; and probably over all the people among whom Christ had for more than three years preached the everlasting Gospel; and that this darkness was supernatural is evident from this, that it happened during the passover, which was celebrated only at the full moon, a time in which it was impossible for the sun to be eclipsed. But many suppose the darkness was over the whole world, and think there is sufficient evidence of this in ancient authors. Phlegon and Thallus, who flourished in the beginning of the second century, are supposed to speak of this. The former says: "In the fourth year of the 202nd Olympiad, there was an extraordinary eclipse of the sun: at the sixth hour, the day was turned into dark night, so that the stars in heaven were seen; and there was an earthquake in Bithynia, which overthrew many houses in the city of Nice." This is the substance of what Phlegon is reputed to have said on this subject: - but

1. All the authors who quote him differ, and often very materially, in what they say was found in him.

2. Phlegon says nothing of Judea: what he says is, that in such an Olympiad, (some say the 102nd, others the 202nd), there was an eclipse in Bithynia, and an earthquake at Nice.

3. Phlegon does not say that the earthquake happened at the time of the eclipse.

4. Phlegon does not intimate that this darkness was extraordinary, or that the eclipse happened at the full of the moon, or that it lasted three hours. These circumstances could not have been omitted by him, if he had known them.

5. Phlegon speaks merely of an ordinary, though perhaps total, eclipse of the sun, and cannot mean the darkness mentioned by the evangelists.

6. Phlegon speaks of an eclipse that happened in some year of the 102nd, or 202nd Olympiad; and therefore little stress can be laid on what he says as applying to this event.

The quotation from Thallus, made by Africanus, found in the Chronicle of Syncellus, of the eighth century, is allowed by eminent critics to be of little importance. This speaks "of a darkness over all the world, and an earthquake which threw down many houses in Judea and in other parts of the earth." It may be necessary to observe, that Thallus is quoted by several of the ancient ecclesiastical writers for other matters, but never for this; and that the time in which he lived is so very uncertain, that Dr. Lardner supposes there is room to think he lived rather before than after Christ.

Dionysius the Areopagite is supposed to have mentioned this event in the most decided manner: for being at Heliopolis in Egypt, with his friend Apollophanes, when our Savior suffered, they there saw a wonderful eclipse of the sun, whereupon Dionysius said to his friend, "Either God himself suffers, or sympathizes with the sufferer." It is enough to say of this man, that all the writings attributed to him are known to be spurious, and are proved to be forgeries of the fifth or sixth century. Whoever desires to see more on this subject, may consult Dr. Lardner, (vol. vii. p. 371, ed. 1788), a man whose name should never be mentioned but with respect, notwithstanding the peculiarities of his religious creed; who has done more in the service of Divine revelation than most divines in Christendom; and who has raised a monument to the perpetuity of the Christian religion, which all the infidels in creation shall never be able to pull down or deface.

This miraculous darkness should have caused the enemies of Christ to understand that he was the light of the world, and that because they did not walk in it it was now taken away from them.

My God! My God! why hast thou forsaken me! - These words are quoted by our Lord from Psa 22:1; they are of very great importance, and should be carefully considered.

Some suppose "that the divinity had now departed from Christ, and that his human nature was left unsupported to bear the punishment due to men for their sins." But this is by no means to be admitted, as it would deprive his sacrifice of its infinite merit, and consequently leave the sin of the world without an atonement. Take deity away from any redeeming act of Christ, and redemption is ruined. Others imagine that our Lord spoke these words to the Jews only, to prove to them that he was the Messiah. "The Jews," say they, "believed this psalm to speak of the Messiah: they quoted the eighth verse of it against Christ - He trusted in God that he would deliver him; let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him. (See Mat 27:43). To which our Lord immediately answers, My God! my God! etc , thus showing that he was the person of whom the psalmist prophesied." I have doubts concerning the propriety of this interpretation.

It has been asked, What language is it that our Lord spoke? Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani. Some say it is Hebrew - others Syriac. I say, as the evangelists quote it, it is neither. St. Matthew comes nearest the Hebrew, אלי אלי למה עזבתני Eli, Eli, lamah azabthani, in the words, Ηλι, Ηλι, λαμα σαβαχθανι, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani.

And St. Mark comes nearest the Syriac, Mar 15:34, Alohi, Alohi, l'mono shebachtheni, in the words Ελωΐ, Ελωΐ, λαμμα σαβαχθανι, Eloi, Eloi, lamma sabachthani. It is worthy of note, that a Hebrew MS. of the twelfth century, instead of עזבתני azabthani, forsaken me, reads שכחתני shechachthani, Forgotten me. This word makes a very good sense, and comes nearer to the sabachthani of the evangelists. It may be observed also, that the words, Why hast thou Forgotten me? are often used by David and others, in times of oppression and distress. See Psa 42:9.

Some have taken occasion from these words to depreciate the character of our blessed Lord. "They are unworthy," say they, "of a man who suffers, conscious of his innocence, and argue imbecility, impatience, and despair." This is by no means fairly deducible from the passage. However, some think that the words, as they stand in the Hebrew and Syriac, are capable of a translation which destroys all objections, and obviates every difficulty. The particle למה lamah, may be translated, to what - to whom - to what kind or sort - to what purpose or profit: Gen 25:32; Gen 32:29; Gen 33:15; Job 9:29; Jer 6:20; Jer 20:18; Amo 5:18; and the verb עזב azab signifies to leave - to deposit - to commit to the care of. See Gen 39:6; Job 39:11; Psa 10:14, and Jer 49:11. The words, taken in this way, might be thus translated: My God! my God! to what sort of persons hast thou left me? The words thus understood are rather to be referred to the wicked Jews than to our Lord, and are an exclamation indicative of the obstinate wickedness of his crucifiers, who steeled their hearts against every operation of the Spirit and power of God. See Ling. Brit. Reform. by B. Martin, p. 36.

Through the whole of the Sacred Writings, God is represented as doing those things which, in the course of his providence, he only permits to be done; therefore, the words, to whom hast thou left or given me up, are only a form of expression for, "How astonishing is the wickedness of those persons into whose hands I am fallen!" If this interpretation be admitted, it will free this celebrated passage from much embarrassment, and make it speak a sense consistent with itself, and with the dignity of the Son of God.

The words of St. Mark, Mar 15:34, agree pretty nearly with this translation of the Hebrew: Εις τι με εγκατιλεπες; To what [sort of persons, understood] hast thou left me? A literal translation of the passage in the Syriac Testament gives a similar sense: Ad quid dereliquisti me? "To what hast thou abandoned me?" And an ancient copy of the old Itala version, a Latin translation before the time of St. Jerome, renders the words thus: Quare me in opprobrium dedisti? "Why hast thou abandoned me to reproach?"

It may he objected, that this can never agree with the ἱνατι, why, of Matthew. To this it is answered, that ἱνατι must have here the same meaning as εις τι - as the translation of למה lama; and that, if the meaning be at all different, we must follow that evangelist who expresses most literally the meaning of the original: and let it be observed, that the Septuagint often translate למה by ἱνατι instead of εις τι, which evidently proves that it often had the same meaning. Of this criticism I say, Valet quod valet, Let it pass for no more than it is worth: the subject is difficult. But whatever may be thought of the above mode of interpretation, one thing is certain, viz. That the words could not be used by our Lord in the sense in which they are generally understood. This is sufficiently evident; for he well knew why he was come unto that hour; nor could he be forsaken of God, in whom dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. The Deity, however, might restrain so much of its consolatory support as to leave the human nature fully sensible of all its sufferings, so that the consolations might not take off any part of the keen edge of his passion; and this was necessary to make his sufferings meritorious. And it is probable that this is all that is intended by our Lord's quotation from the twenty-second Psalm. Taken in this view, the words convey an unexceptionable sense, even in the common translation.

This man calleth for Elias - Probably these were Hellenistic Jews, who did not fully understand the meaning of our Lord's words. Elijah was daily expected to appear as the forerunner of the Messiah, whose arrival, under the character of a mighty prince, was generally supposed to be at hand throughout the east. See Mal 4:5; Mat 2:2-4; Mat 17:10-12.

Took a sponge - This being the most convenient way to reach a liquid to his mouth; tied it on a reed, that they might be able to reach his lips with it. This reed, as we learn from St. John, was a stalk of hyssop, which, in that country, must have grown to a considerable magnitude. This appears also to have been done in mercy, to alleviate his sufferings. See Mat 27:34.

After this verse, BCL and five others add, Another, taking a spear, pierced his side, and there came out blood and water. Several of the fathers add the same words here: they appear, however, to be an interpolation from Joh 19:34.

Yielded up the ghost - Αφηκε το πνευμα, He dismissed the spirit. He himself willingly gave up that life which it was impossible for man to take away. It is not said that he hung on the cross till he died through pain and agony; nor is it said that his bones were broken, the sooner to put him out of pain, and to hasten his death; but that himself dismissed the soul, that he might thus become, not a forced sacrifice, but a free-will offering for sin.

Now, as our English word ghost, from the Anglo-Saxon gast, an inmate, inhabitant, guest, (a casual visitant), also a spirit, is now restricted among us to the latter meaning, always signifying the immortal spirit or soul of man, the guest of the body and as giving up the spirit, ghost, or soul, is an act not proper to man, though commending it to God, in our last moments, is both an act of faith and piety; and as giving up the ghost, i.e. dismissing his spirit from his body, is attributed to Jesus Christ, to whom alone it is proper; I therefore object against its use in every other case.

Every man, since the fall, has not only been liable to death, but has deserved it; as all have forfeited their lives because of sin. Jesus Christ, as born immaculate, and having never sinned, had not forfeited his life, and therefore may be considered as naturally and properly immortal. No man, says he, taketh it, my life, from me, but I lay it down of myself: I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again; therefore doth the Father love me, because I lay down my life that I might take it again, Joh 10:17, Joh 10:18. Hence we rightly translate Mat 27:50, αφηκε το πνευμα, he gave up the ghost; i.e. he dismissed his spirit, that he might die for the sin of the world. The Evangelist St. John (Joh 19:30) makes use of an expression to the same import, which we translate in the same way: παρεδωκε το πνευμα, he delivered up his spirit. We translate Mar 15:37, and Luk 23:46, he gave up the ghost, but not correctly, because the word in both these places is very different - εξεπνευσε, he breathed his last, or expired; though in the latter place, Luk 23:46, there is an equivalent expression - O Father, into thy hands, παρατιθεμαι το πνευμα μου, I commit my spirit; i.e. I place my soul in thy hand: proving that the act was his own; that no man could take his life away from him; that he did not die by the perfidy of his disciple, or the malice of the Jews, but by his own free act. Thus He Laid Down his life for the sheep. Of Ananias and Sapphira, Act 5:5,Act 5:10, and of Herod, Act 12:23, our translation says, they gave up the ghost; but the word in both places is εξεψυξε, which simply means to breathe out, to expire, or die: but in no case, either by the Septuagint in the Old, or any of the sacred writers in the New Testament, is αφηκε το πνευμα, or παρεδωκε το πνευμα, he dismissed his spirit, or delivered up his spirit, spoken of any person but Christ. Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, Jacob, etc., breathed their last; Ananias, Sapphira, and Herod, expired; but none, Jesus Christ excepted, gave up the ghost, dismissed, or delivered up his own spirit, and was, consequently, free among the dead. Of the patriarchs, etc., the Septuagint use the word εκλειπων, failing; or κατεπαυσεν, he ceased, or rested.

The veil of the temple was rent - That is, the veil which separated the holy place, where the priests ministered, from the holy of holies, into which the high priest only entered, and that once a year, to make a general expiation for the sins of the people. This rending of the veil was emblematical, and pointed out that the separation between Jews and Gentiles was now abolished, and that the privilege of the high priest was now communicated to all mankind: All might henceforth have access to the throne of grace, through the one great atonement and mediator, the Lord Jesus. See this beautifully illustrated in Heb 10:19-22.

And the graves were opened - By the earthquake; and many bodies of saints which slept, i.e. were dead, sleep being a common expression for death in the Scriptures.

And came out of the graves after his resurrection - Not Before, as some have thought, for Christ was himself the First Fruits of them who slept, 1Cor 15:20. The graves were opened at his death, by the earthquake, and the bodies came out at his resurrection.

And appeared unto many - Thus establishing the truth of our Lord's resurrection in particular, and of the resurrection of the body in general, by many witnesses. Quesnel's reflections on these passages may be very useful. "1. The veil being rent shows that his death is to put an end to the figurative worship, and to establish the true religion.

2. The earthquake, that this dispensation of the Gospel is to make known through the earth the judgments of God against sin and sinners.

3. The rocks being rent declare that the sacrifice of Christ is to make way for the grace of repentance.

4. The graves being opened, that it is to destroy the death of sin, and confer the life grace on sinners.

5. The rising of the bodies of the saints shows that this death of Christ is to merit, and his Gospel publish, the eternal happiness of body and soul for all that believe in his name."

It is difficult to account for the transaction mentioned Mat 27:52, Mat 27:53. Some have thought that these two verses have been introduced into the text of Matthew from the gospel of the Nazarenes; others think that the simple meaning is this: - by the earthquake several bodies that had been buried were thrown up and exposed to view, and continued above ground till after Christ's resurrection, and were seen by many persons in the city. Why the graves should be opened on Friday, and the bodies not be raised to life till the following Sunday, is difficult to be conceived. The place is extremely obscure.

The centurion - The Roman officer who superintended the execution, called centurio, from centum, a hundred, because he had the command of one hundred men.

Truly this was the Son of God - An innocent, holy, and Divine person; and God thus shows his disapprobation of this bloody tragedy. It is not likely that this centurion had any knowledge of the expectation of the Jews relative to the Messiah, and did not use the words in this sense. A son of God, as the Romans used the term, would signify no more than a very eminent or Divine person; a hero.

Many women - To their everlasting honor, these women evidenced more courage, and affectionate attachment to their Lord and Master, than the disciples did, who had promised to die with him rather than forsake him.

Beholding afar off - At a distance - απο μακροθεν. Though this expression may be understood to refer, rather to the distance from which they came, (viz. from Galilee), than the distance they stood from the cross; yet, as all malefactors were crucified naked, perhaps this may account for the distance at which these modest women stood.

Mary Magdalene - She probably had her name from Magdala, a village or district in Lower Galilee. See Mat 15:39. Some think she was called Magdalene from מגדלא magdala, which signifies a plaiter of hair. See Lightfoot.

Mary the mother of James - She was mother of him called James the lesser, or junior, who was son of Alpheus or Cleopas - see Mat 10:3; Mar 15:40; Joh 19:25; and she was sister to the holy virgin. Thus it appears that there were four remarkable Marys mentioned in the Gospels.

1. Mary the Virgin, wife of Joseph.

2. Mary Salome, her sister, wife of Cleopas, Joh 19:25.

3. Mary Magdalene, or Mary of Magdala; and,

4. Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, Joh 11:1.

Though Baronius asserts, and Lightfoot is of the same opinion, that Mary Magdalene, and Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, was one and the same person. It is difficult to ascertain and distinguish these women where their names occur in the Gospels, so many being called by the name of Mary.

Joses - Several MSS. and versions read Joseph.

When the even - This must have been about three o'clock, or a little after; for our Lord having expired about three o'clock, Mat 27:46, and the Jewish passover beginning about four, it was necessary that Joseph, who would not fail to eat the passover at the usual time, should have obtained and buried the body of Christ some time before four o'clock. But such was the general consternation, occasioned by the prodigies that took place on this most awful occasion, that we may safely conjecture that nothing was done in order, and perhaps the passover itself was not eaten at the usual hour, if at all, that day. See at the end of the preceding chapter.

A rich man - He was a counsellor of the great Sanhedrin, Luk 23:50; and, from the accounts given of him by the evangelists we learn that he was a man of the greatest respectability. He now acted a more honorable part than all the disciples of our Lord. He was of Arimathea, or Rama, in the tribe of Benjamin, Mat 2:18, but lived ordinarily in Jerusalem, as being a member of the great council.

Begged the body - That he might bury it honorably otherwise, by the Jewish customs, he would have either been burned, or buried in the common place appointed for executed criminals.

Wrapped it in a clean linen cloth - The Jews, as well as the Egyptians, added spices to keep the body from putrefaction, and the linen was wrapped about every part to keep the aromatics in contact with the flesh. From Joh 19:39, Joh 19:40, we learn that a mixture of myrrh and aloes of one hundred pounds' weight had been applied to the body of Jesus when he was buried. And that a second embalmment was intended, we learn from Luk 23:56; Luk 24:1, as the hurry to get the body interred before the Sabbath did not permit them to complete, the embalming in the first instance. See an account of the mode of embalming among the Egyptians, in the note on Gen 50:2, Gen 50:26 (note).

Laid it in his own new tomb - To all human appearance the body of Christ must have had the same burial-place with those of the two robbers, as he was numbered with the transgressors, and suffered with them; for then he was a sacrifice, bearing the sin of the world in his own body on the tree; but now the sacrifice is offered, the atonement made and accepted, he is no longer to be enrolled with the transgressors, and, according to a prophecy delivered nearly seven hundred years before that time, he is to have the burying-place of a rich man. See Isa 53:9, Isa 53:10. Had our Lord been buried in the common burial-ground of the malefactors, his resurrection could not have been so distinctly remarked, as the chief priests would never have thought of sealing the stone there, or setting a watch; but now that the body is got into the hands of a friend, they judge it necessary to make use of these precautions, in order, as they said, to prevent imposture; and from this very circumstance the resurrection of Christ had its fullest evidence, and was put beyond the power of successful contradiction. What a number of objections would not human prudence have made to Joseph's conduct, had he consulted it on this occasion! It would have represented to him that, "this was to expose himself, to bring himself into trouble, to render himself suspected, to put himself out of all capacity of doing good, to ruin himself irrecoverably; and now it could do no good to his teacher - he is now dead, and needs no longer any office of kindness from men." There is, sometimes in our whole life, but one opportunity in which God designs signally to employ us; and, through our general backwardness to every good work, we are for reserving ourselves to other opportunities, in which God neither requires nor will accept our services.

Rolled a great stone to the door - Some are of opinion that this tomb was cut down into the rock, perpendicularly from the surface; and that the great stone spoken of here covered over the entrance to it. The stone, no doubt, was intended to secure the place as much as possible.

Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary - The mother of James and Joses, Mat 27:56. The mother of our Lord had probably, by this time, been taken home to the house of John. See Joh 19:26, Joh 19:27.

Sitting over against the sepulchre - These holy women, filled with that love to their Lord which death cannot destroy, cleaved to him in life, and in death were not divided. They came to the grave to see the end, and overwhelmed with sorrow and anguish, sat down to mourn.

The next day - This was the seventh, or Saturday, and might be what we should term the evening of the sixth, or Friday, because the Jews always ended their day when the sun set, and then began the next.

That followed the day of the preparation - That is, of the Sabbath. The victuals, etc., which were to be used on the Sabbath by the Jews, were always prepared the preceding evening before the sun set. It is of this preparation that the evangelist speaks here; and it is the same which is mentioned by Mark, Mar 15:42; by Luke, Luk 23:54; and by John, Joh 19:31. But there was another preparation which happened in the same day: viz. The preparation of the passover; this began about twelve o'clock, and continued till four, the time in which they ate the paschal lamb. See Joh 19:14.

Sir, we remember, etc. - While these wicked men are fulfilling their own vicious counsels, they are subserving the great cause of Christianity. Every thing depended on the resurrection of Christ; if it did not appear that he rose from the dead, then the whole system was false, and no atonement was made. It was necessary therefore that the chief priests, etc., should make use of every precaution to prevent an imposture, that the resurrection of Christ might have the fullest evidence to support it. See on Mat 27:60 (note).

The word Κυριε is here very properly translated sir, which, in many other places, is as improperly translated Lord. When a Roman is the speaker, or the person addressed, Κυριε should always be translated sir; when strangers address our Lord, the word is a title of civil respect, and should, in general, be translated in the same way.

After three days I will rise again - This they probably took from his saying, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will build it up. If so, they destroyed, by their own words, the false accusation they brought against him to put him to death; then they perverted the meaning, now they declare it. Thus the wise are taken in their own craftiness. Neither the devil nor his servants ever speak truth, but when they expect to accomplish some bad purpose by it.

Lest his disciples come by night - Νυκτος, by night, is wanting in ten of the uncial MSS., and in several others, and in most of the versions. Erasmus, Aldus, Bengel, and Boghard, with Griesbach, leave it out of the text.

Ye have a watch - The Jews had a corps of Roman troops, consisting of several companies, as a guard for the temple, Act 4:1. These companies mounted guard by turns, see Luk 22:4. Some of these companies, which were not then on duty, Pilate gave them leave to employ to watch the tomb.

Made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch - Or rather, made the tomb secure by the guard, and by sealing the stone. I follow Kypke, in construing μετα της κουστωδιας, with ησφαλισαντο. The guard was to take care that the disciples should not steal him away; and the seal, which was probably the seal of the governor, was to prevent the guards from being corrupted so as to permit the theft. So every thing was done which human policy and prudence could, to prevent a resurrection, which these very precautions had the most direct tendency to authenticate and establish. How wonderful are the wisdom and goodness of God! - and how true is it, that there is neither might nor counsel against him!

1. The death of Christ was ordered, so as to be witnessed by thousands; and if his resurrection take place, it must be demonstrated; and it cannot take place without being incontestable, such are the precautions used here to prevent all imposture.

2. The more the circumstances of the death of Christ are examined, the more astonishing the whole will appear. The death is uncommon - the person uncommon - and the object uncommon; and the whole is grand, majestic, and awful. Nature itself is thrown into unusual action, and by means and causes wholly supernatural. In every part, the finger of God most evidently appears.

3. How glorious does Christ appear in his death! Were it not for his thirst, his exclamation on the cross, and the piercing of his side, we should have found it difficult to believe that such a person could ever have entered the empire of death; but the divinity and the manhood equally appear, and thus the certainty of the atonement is indubitably established.

4. But who can reflect on the state of the poor disciples, during the whole of the time in which our blessed Lord lay under the empire of death, without sharing their sorrows! When he expired on the cross their expectation was cut off; and when his body was laid in the grave their hopes were buried; and nothing but the resurrection of Christ from the dead could have given a resurrection to their hopes. It is true they had heard him say that he would rise again the third day; but in this it is evident their faith was very imperfect; and the uncertainty, perplexity, anxiety, and distress which they in consequence must have suffered, can neither be described nor imagined. Though we know the glorious result, yet who can help sympathizing with the pious father, the virgin mother, and the disconsolate disciples!

In the morning - As the sanhedrim used to meet in one of the courts of the temple, which was never opened in the night, they were forced to stay till the morning before they could proceed regularly, in the resolution they had taken to put him to death. Mark 15:1; Luke 22:66; 23:1; John 18:28.

Having bound him - They had bound him when he was first apprehended. But they did it now afresh, to secure him from any danger of an escape, as he passed through the streets of Jerusalem.

Then Judas seeing that he was condemned - Which probably he thought Christ would have prevented by a miracle.

They said, what is that to us? - How easily could they digest innocent blood! And yet they had a conscience! It is not lawful (say they) to put it into the treasury - But very lawful to slay the innocent!

In that part of the temple where the sanhedrim met.

They bought with them the potter's field - Well known, it seems, by that name. This was a small price for a field so near Jerusalem. But the earth had probably been digged for potters' vessels, so that it was now neither fit for tillage nor pasture, and consequently of small value. Foreigners - Heathens especially, of whom there were then great numbers in Jerusalem.

Then was fulfilled - What was figuratively represented of old, was now really accomplished. What was spoken by the prophet - The word Jeremy, which was added to the text in latter copies, and thence received into many translations, is evidently a mistake: for he who spoke what St. Matthew here cites (or rather paraphrases) was not Jeremy, but Zechariah. Zech 11:12.

As the Lord commanded me - To write, to record.

Art thou the king of the Jews? - Jesus before Caiaphas avows himself to be the Christ, before Pilate to be a king; clearly showing thereby, that his answering no more, was not owing to any fear.

At every feast - Every year, at the feast of the passover. Mark 15:6; Luke 23:17; John 18:39.

He knew that for envy they had delivered him - As well as from malice and revenge; they envied him, because the people magnified him.

They all say, Let him be crucified - The punishment which Barabbas had deserved: and this probably made them think of it. But in their malice they forgot with how dangerous a precedent they furnished the Roman governor. And indeed within the compass of a few years it turned dreadfully upon themselves.

Then Pilate took water and washed his hands - This was a custom frequently used among the heathens as well as among the Jews, in token of innocency.

His blood be on us and on our children - As this imprecation was dread. fully answered in the ruin so quickly brought on the Jewish nation, and the calamities which have ever since pursued that wretched people, so it was peculiarly fulfilled by Titus the Roman general, on the Jews whom he took during the siege of Jerusalem. So many, after having been scourged in a terrible manner, were crucified all round the city, that in a while there was not room near the wall for the crosses to stand by each other. Probably this befell some of those who now joined in this cry, as it certainly did many of their children: the very finger of God thus pointing out their crime in crucifying his Son.

He delivered him to be crucified - The person crucified was nailed to the cross as it lay on the ground, through each hand extended to the utmost stretch, and through both the feet together. Then the cross was raised up, and the foot of it thrust with a violent shock into a hole in the ground prepared for it. This shock disjointed the body, whose whole weight hung upon the nails, till the persons expired through mere dint of pain. This kind of death was used only by the Romans, and by them inflicted only on slaves and the vilest criminals.

The whole troop - or cohort. This was a body of foot commanded by the governor, which was appointed to prevent disorders and tumults, especially on solemn occasions. Mark 15:16 John 19:2.

They put on him a scarlet robe - Such as kings and generals wore; probably an old tattered one.

Him they compelled to bear his cross - He bore it himself, till he sunk under it, John 19:17.

A place called Golgotha, that is, the place of a skull - Golgotha in Syriac signifies a skull or head: it was probably called so from this time; being an eminence upon Mount Calvary, not far from the king's gardens. Mark 15:22; Luke 23:33; John 19:17

They gave him vinegar mingled with gall - Out of derision: which, however nauseous, he received and tasted of. St. Mark mentions also a different mixture which was given him, Wine mingled with myrrh: such as it was customary to give to dying criminals, to make them less sensible of their sufferings: but this our Lord refused to taste, determining to bear the full force of his pains.

They parted his garments - This was the custom of the Romans. The soldiers performed the office of executioners, and divided among them the spoils of the criminals. My vesture - That is, my inner garment. Psalm 22:18.

Mark 15:27; Luke 23:32.

Mark 15:32; Luke 23:33.

From the sixth hour, there was darkness over all the earth unto the ninth hour - Insomuch, that even a heathen philosopher seeing it, and knowing it could not be a natural eclipse, because it was at the time of the full moon, and continued three hours together, cried out, "Either the God of nature suffers, or the frame of the world is dissolved." By this darkness God testified his abhorrence of the wickedness which was then committing. It likewise intimated Christ's sore conflicts with the Divine justice, and with all the powers of darkness.

About the ninth hour, Jesus cried with a loud voice - Our Lord's great agony probably continued these three whole hours, at the conclusion of which be thus cried out, while he suffered from God himself what was unutterable. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? - Our Lord hereby at once expresses his trust in God, and a most distressing sense of his letting loose the powers of darkness upon him, withdrawing the comfortable discoveries of his presence, and filling his soul with a terrible sense of the wrath due to the sins which he was bearing. Psalm 22:1.

One taking a sponge, filled it with vinegar - Vinegar and water was the usual drink of the Roman soldiers. It does not appear, that this was given him in derision, but rather with a friendly design, that he might not die before Elijah came. John 19:28.

After he had cried with a loud voice - To show that his life was still whole in him. He dismissed his spirit - So the original expression may be literally translated: an expression admirably suited to our Lord's words, John 10:18: No man taketh my life from me, but I lay it down of myself. He died by a voluntary act of his own, and in a way peculiar to himself. He alone of all men that ever were, could have continued alive even in the greatest tortures, as long as he pleased, or have retired from the body whenever he had thought fit. And how does it illustrate that love which he manifested in his death? Insomuch as he did not use his power to quit his body, as soon as it was fastened to the cross, leaving only an insensible corpse, to the cruelty of his murderers: but continued his abode in it, with a steady resolution, as long as it was proper. He then retired from it, with a majesty and dignity never known or to be known in any other death: dying, if one may so express it, like the Prince of life.

Immediately upon his death, while the sun was still darkened, the veil of the temple, which separated the holy of holies from the court of the priests, though made of the richest and strongest tapestry, was rent in two from the top to the bottom: so that while the priest was ministering at the golden altar (it being the time of the sacrifice) the sacred oracle, by an invisible power was laid open to full view: God thereby signifying the speedy removal of the veil of the Jewish ceremonies the casting down the partition wall, so that the Jews and Gentiles were now admitted to equal privileges, and the opening a way through the veil of his flesh for all believers into the most holy place. And the earth was shaken - There was a general earthquake through the whole globe, though chiefly near Jerusalem: God testifying thereby his wrath against the Jewish nation, for the horrid impiety they were committing.

Some of the tombs were shattered and laid open by the earthquake, and while they continued unclosed (and they must have stood open all the Sabbath, seeing the law would not allow any attempt to close them) many bodies of holy men were raised, (perhaps Simeon, Zacharias, John the Baptist, and others who had believed in Christ, and were known to many in Jerusalem,) And coming out of the tombs after his resurrection, went into the holy city (Jerusalem) and appeared to many - Who had probably known them before: God hereby signifying, that Christ had conquered death, and would raise all his saints in due season.

The centurion - The officer who commanded the guard; and they that were with him feared, saying, Truly this was the Son of God - Referring to the words of the chief priests and scribes, Mt 27:43: He said, I am the Son of God.

James - The less: he was so called, to distinguish him from the other James, the brother of John; probably because he was less in stature.

When the evening was come - That is, after three o'clock; the time from three to six they termed the evening. Mark 15:42; Luke 23:50; John 19:38.

On the morrow, the day that followed the day of the preparation - The day of preparation was the day before the Sabbath, whereon they were to prepare for the celebration of it. The next day then was the Sabbath according to the Jews. But the evangelist seems to express it by this circumlocution, to show the Jewish Sabbath was then abolished.

That impostor said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again - We do not find that he had ever said this to them, unless when he spoke of the temple of his body, John 2:19,21. And if they here refer to what he then said, how perverse and iniquitous was their construction on these words, when he was on his trial before the council? Mt 26:61. Then they seemed not to understand them!

Ye have a guard - Of your own, in the tower of Antonia, which was stationed there for the service of the temple.

They went and secured the sepulchre, sealing the stone, and setting a guard - They set Pilate's signet, or the public seal of the sanhedrim upon a fastening which they had put on the stone. And all this uncommon caution was overruled by the providence of God, to give the strongest proofs of Christ's ensuing resurrection; since there could be no room for the least suspicion of deceit, when it should be found, that his body was raised out of a new tomb, where there was no other corpse, and this tomb hewn out of a rock, the mouth of which was secured by a great stone, under a seal, and a guard of soldiers.

2 And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governour.

Mark Ch. 15.1. saith. And straightway in the Morning, the Chief Priests held a Consultation with the Elders and Scribes, and the whole Councel, and bound Iesus, and carried him away, and delivered him to Pilate, Luke saith, Ch. 23.1. And the whole multitude of them arose, and led hhm to Pilate, Iohn, Ch. 18.28. saith, Then led they Iesus from Caiphas, unto the Hall of Iudgment, and it was early, and they themselves went [illegible: 1 letter]ot into the Iudgment Hall, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover. If any ask why, having condemned Christ, they did not put him to Death. Iohn tells us, v. 31. It was not Lawful for them, to put any one to Death. They had already out of their Malice to Christ broken several of their own Canons, or Rules observed in ordinary Capital Causes, Sitting in the Night-time, and upon a Festival day. They must have notoriously broken another, if they had themselves on that day put him to Death. It should seem by their stoning Stephen, Acts 7.59. They had a Power in some Cases to put Persons to Death, but Christ was to be Crucified, and as to that kind of Death they had no Power, see Ioh. 18.32. Besides that we must consider it was the Passover-day, and Stoning any Man to Death, required a Concourse of People to throw Stones, and they were afraid of Tumults. The Roman Governour had the Militia in his Power, and could better prevent, and suppress Tumults than they could do: Finally, Christ was by his Death to give Testimony to his Kingly Office; and the Iews, as we shall hear, had this to Charge him with, That he made himself a King, this was a Civil Cause, and to be adjudged by Pilate the Roman Governour amongst them. In the Morning therefore, Consulting how to put Christ to Death, they delivered him to Pontius Pilate, having first bound him, (for tho he was bound upon his first Apprehension, yet it is probable, that they had loosed him, when he came in the Hall of the High Priest, and now bind him a second time, when they carried him before Pilate) Iohn tells us, that they would not themselves go into the Iudgment Hall, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover, which Words have in them a Difficulty, and also give us an Account, of a most inaccountable Superstition. For the Passover, they had eaten it the Night before. But we must know, that not the Paschal Lamb only, but all the Sacrifices offered any of the seven days, were also called the Passover, Deut. 16.1.2. &c. It was now the First day of unleavened Bread, but there were to be Offerings this day, of which they were to Eat, which in a large Sense are called the Passover. But how inaccountable was the Superstition of these Hypocrites. They made no Conscience, when they had eaten the Paschal Lamb in the Evening, to spend the whole Night in consulting how to shed innocent Blood, and condemning of Christ, but they pretend now Conscience, that they will not go into a Pagans house in the Morning, for that was the Defilement they feared, having nothing to do to sit in Judgment with him.

5 And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed and went and hanged himself .

Matthew (who alone reports this piece of History) interrupteth his Relation of our Saviours Tryal before Pilate, with an Account of Iudas his end. We must not interpret Then, strictly, so as to think Iudas did thi[illegible: 1 letter] at the time, when Christ was carried before Pilate, but some short time after; for they went immediately from the High Priests Hall, to the Iudgment Hall, and staid there until Christ was condemned by Pilate, before they returned to come into the Temple. But possibly it was that day, after Pilate had condemned him, or within some short time after, that Iudas (as it is said) Repented himself. That is, began to be terrifyed in his Conscience, for what he had done. The Consciences of the worst of Men, will not always digest Mire and Dirt, but sometimes throw it up, yea tho it hath first incurably poisoned them, sin is sweet in the Mouth, but bitter in the Belly. All Repentance is not saving. Nor doth all Confession of sin obtain Remission. Iudas here repents, and Confesseth he had Sinned, and his particular sin, in betraying an innocent Person; yet he findeth no Mercy, he hath not an Heart [illegible: 1 word] beg Forgiveness, nor to apply himself to Christ for Remedy. But the Answer of the chief Priests and Elders, is very remarkable. What is that to us, look thou to that? Wretched Iudas! He had been the Servant of these wicked Mens Lusts, and for a poor Wages served them, in the highest Act of Villany. He falls into a distress of Conscience for what he had done. What miserable Comforters do they prove? Tempters never make good Comforters. Those who are the Devils Instruments, to Command here, Entice, or allure Men to sin, will afford them no relief when they come to be troubled, for what they have done: Nor will it now satisfie the Conscience of Iudas, to remember that he had a Warrant for apprehending Christ, and acted Ministerially. The Priests will not take the Money, he throws it down in the Temple, and goes and hangs himself. How great is the Power of Conscience, smiting for the Guilt of sin? Iudas could have no hope of a better Life, so as all his Happiness lay in the time of this present Life. Yet, he is not able to allow himself that. The Devil that entred into his Heart, to Tempt him, now entreth again to perswade him, to put an end to his Misery in this Life, by hastning himself to an Eternal Misery. Let all Apostates turning Persecutors of innocent Persons, read this, and Tremble. There is a Difficulty of reconciling this Text, to that of Luke, Acts 1.18. where it is said of him, That he falling Head-long burst asunder in the midst, and all his Bowels gushed out. That which is usually said, is, that he fell from the place where he hanged himself, and with the fall burst himself: I know there are some others, who think that the Word [non-Latin text not transcribed], need not be translated, he hanged himself; but he was Suffocated or Strangled. Some think the Devil strangled him, and threw him down a Precipice. Others, that he was Suffocated by some Disease, which caused a Rupture of his Body. Others think (as we translate it) that he hanged himself, and Swelling his Body brake, and his Bowels gushed out: Concerning the manner of his Death, we can determine nothing, but that he was Strangled, and his Bowels gushed out, both these the Scripture asserts, but how it was, we cannot certainly tell.

Marginal references: Acts 1.18.

6 And the chief priests took the silver pieces and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood.

God, Deut. 23.18. had forbidden to bring the Price of a Whore, or a Dog, into the Temple, This, they had interpreted of all filthy Gain: Upon which they thus determine, that it was not Lawful for them, to put the Money they had given Iudas, for so sordid a Service as that, of betraying his Master, into the Chest, or place which they had, where they kept the Monies given for the Repairs of the Temple; and in this they were right enough, perhaps, but in this they shewed themselves stupidly blind Hypocrites, that they saw not it was much less Lawful for them, who had hired him to this sordid Action, to be imployed in the Service of the Temple, for Isa. 52.11. those that bear the Vessels of the Lord, ought to be Holy. Thus to justifie our Saviours words, they strain at a Gnat, and swallow a Camel.

10 And gave them for the potters field, as the Lord appointed me.

They at last resolve what to do with the Money, which was no great Sum (for as we Noted before, it exceeded not three pounds and fifteen Shillings) they would not turn it to their own private use, for (probably) it was before taken out of the Treasury, neither would they again return it into the Treasury, because it had been made use of as the Hire of Blood. They therefore agree to buy with it a piece of Ground, ordinarily known by the Name of the Potters Field, probably because some Potter had Digged Earth, and thrown the wast of his Pot-kilnes there, so as it was of no great value. This Field the Vulgar upon this purchase of it by the Priests, called many Years after. The Field of the Blood. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the Prophet. The Evangelists use this Term fulfilled, as I have before Noted, in very different Senses. 1. Sometimes to express the Accomplishment of a Prophesy. 2. Sometimes to express the fulfilling of a Type or answering it by the Antitype. 3. Sometimes to express an Allusion to some other Scripture, mentioning some matter of Fact, of a like Nature. For the Text here quoted, we have no such Text in the Writing of the Prophet Ieremy, which are upon sacred Record. Ieremy indeed did buy a Field by order from God, Chap. 32.9. to declare his Faith in Gods promises, for the return of the Jews out of Captivity, but he bought it of his Uncle Hananeel, and for seventeen pieces of Silver, and that he was a Potter, or that the Field was called by that Name, we do not Read. The nearest place in the Prop[illegible: 1 letter]ets to this Text is Zechar. 11.12, 13. And I said unto them, if you think good, give me my price, so they weighed for my p[illegible: 1 letter]ice thirty pieces of Silver, and the Lord said unto me, cast it unto the Potters, a goodly price, that I was prized at of t[illegible: 1 letter]em. And I took the thirty pieces of Silver, and I cast t[illegible: 1 letter]em to the Potter in the House of the Lord. It is a very hard Text as it lies in the Prophet to give a just account of. The P[illegible: 1 letter]ophet was one of them who Prophesied after the Captivity of Babylon, yet v. 6. he plainly Prophesieth after Gods Destruction of the Jews and of Ierusalem. Which Destruction being (after that of the Caldeans) to what it should refer, but to the last Destruction of the Jews by the Romans, I cannot understand. v. 7. he saith, I will feed the Flock of [illegible: 1 letter]he Slaughter, that is, the Flock designed for the Slaughter, or drawing near to the Slaughter, even you, O poor of the Flock! Christ came in Person to feed the Church of the Jews, but they also abhorred him, so that he abhorred them, and resolved to cast them quite off. v. 8, 9. so he broke first his Staff called Beauty, took away all the Glory and Beauty of that Church. Then as it were in Indignation, he saith, If you think good give me my price. What Requital will you give me for my Labour amongst you? So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of Silver. Their selling of Christ to a Traytor for so much, signified their High Contempt of him. And the Lord said, Cast it unto the Potter, a goodly price that I was prized at of them, and I took the thirty pieces of Silver, and cast them to the Potter, in the House of the Lord. The Evangelist indeed doth not quote the very Words of the Prophet, but the substance of them. And for my part I think, that the Evangelist here by fulfilling, meaneth the Accomplishment of the Prophesy in Zechariah. For I know not what other Tolerable Sense to make of the Prophesy, if we do not say the prophet spake in the Person of Chri[illegible: 1 letter]t, foretelling his own coming among[illegible: 1 letter]t them, their Rejection, and Co[illegible: 1 letter]tempt of him, and his utter Rejection of them, and Prophesiing as a piece of their Contempt and Rejection of him, their selling him to Iudas for thirty pieces of Silver (a most Contemptible price) and God so ordering it by his Providence, that this Money should again be brought them, and this Potters Field should be bought with it. So as I think, that Text was fulfilled here, more than by Allusion, or as it was Typical to this Act, and that this Act was the very thing which there is prophesied, and here fulfilled. But how Matthew saith, This was spoken by Jeremy the Prophet is an harder Knot. It is observable that Zechariah hath many things found in Ieremy, and it is not improbable, that the very same thing was Prophesied by Ieremy, tho afterward repeated by Zechariah, and only in the Writings of Zechariah left upon sacred Record. Matthew having now given us an account of the fate of Iudas, returned to our Saviour, carryed (as we heard) before Pilate.

11 And Jesus stood before the governour, and the governour asked him, saying, Art thou the king of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him Thou sayest.

Mark hath the same, Ch. 15.2. so hath Luke, Ch. 23.3. Iohn relates it more di[illegible: 1 letter]tinctly, Iohn 18.29. Pilate then went out unto them, and said, What Accusation bring you against this Man? They answered and said, If he were not a Malefactor we would not have delivered him up to thee. Then said Pilate unto them. Take him and Iudge him according to your Law. The Iews therefore said unto him, It is not lawful for us to put any Man to Death. That the saying of Iesus might be fu[illegible: 1 letter]filled, which he spake signifying what Death he should Dye. The other Evangelists seem to have given us the Story of this our Saviours first appearance before Pilate, Summarily▪ Iohn seems to have gi[illegible: 1 letter]en us it more orderly, and particularly, It is the course of all Judicaturs to require the Accusers to speake fir[illegible: 1 letter]t. Pilate therefore asketh what Accusation they had brought against him? Their Answer was very Malapert. If he had not [illegible: 1 letter]een a Malefactor, &c. what was this to the purpose? Suppo[illegible: 1 letter]e him never so great a Malefactor? Mu[illegible: 1 letter]t it not appear he is so before a Judge Condemns him? These Accusers (as it seemeth) were of the same mind that the Papists are, that the Civil Magistrate, is to be Executioner to the Church, and when the Ecclesiastical power hath Condemned a Man for Heresy or Blasphemy, the Civil Magistrate hath nothing to do, but without his own hearing the Cause to put the Person to Death. But they met with a more equal Judge, tho he were an Heathen. Say ye so, saith he, Take him then, and Iudge him according to [illegible: 1 letter]our Law. This he either speaks as deriding them, and scorning what they would have put him upon: or else not thinking he had deserved any thing worthy of Death, knowing they might without him Scourge him, or inflict some lighter punishments. They reply▪ It is not lawful for us to put any Man to Death. It is very Questionable in what Sense they spake this. Those that affirm that the Power of Judging, and determining in Capital Causes, was be[illegible: 1 letter]ore this time taken from the Jews, must affirm that Stephen was put to Death in a Popular Tumult, for he was after this Stone[illegible: 1 letter] to Deat[illegible: 1 letter] by the Jews, Acts 7.59. which is not probable, con[illegible: 1 letter]idering what we Read of him, Ch. 6.13.15. called before the Counci[illegible: 1 letter] and Witnesses used against him, and have no Record of any notice the Civil Magistrate took of the Fact as a Disorder. I therefore rather think their meaning was, This is with us a Feast-Day, on which it is not lawful for us to put any to Death without thy Consent. Or, it is not lawful for us to put any to Death, for any Civil Cause, for saying, he is our King, for it is manifest by the Question which Pilate first put to him, upon his second coming into the H[illegible: 1 letter]ll, mentioned Iohn 18.33. in which all the other three Evangelists agree, that they had charged him with saying, that he was the King of the Iews, to which all that he replyed, which is Recorded by Matthew, Mark and Luke, is Thou sayest it. I am not bound to accuse my self, who Witnesses this against me? But Iohn saith▪ That our Saviour said, sayest thou this thing of thy self, or did others tell it thee of me? Pilate answered, Am I a Iew? thy own Nation, and the Chief Priests have delivered thee to me. What hast thou done? Iesus answered, and said. My Kingdom is not of this World, if my Kingdom were of this World, then would my Servants Fight, that I should not be delivered to the Iews, but now is not my Kingdom from hence. Our Saviour by this Answer to Pilates Question, seems to vindicate his Right not to be Condemned without Witness, which if others had told Pilate this, they were bound to have produced. Pilate tells him, He had it not of himself, he was no Iew, but they were those of his own Nation, who had delivered him to him, and therefore asketh him what he had done. Then our Saviour openeth himself, not denying that he was the King of the Iews, but telling him he was no King of this World, his Kingdom was a Spiritual Kingdom, and he might know what King he was, by his Retinue, and those who took his part, for if he had laid Claim to any secular Kingdom, he should have had some appearing to take his part, and to Fight for him to deliver him from his Enemies, but he saw he had none. Pilate laying hold of his Words, replys, Art thou a King? Iesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a King, to this end was I Born, and for this Cause came I into the World, that I should bear Witness to the Truth. Every one that is of the Truth, heareth my Voice. Pilate saith unto him, What is Truth? Our Saviour still useth Prudence, and keeps himself upon a close Guard. It had been dangerous for him, directly to have owned himself a King. He therefore only tells Pilate, That he said he was a King, and that he came into the World to bear Testimony to the Truth, and further adds, That every one who was of the Truth, did hear his Voice. This poseth Pilate, who had no Notion of that Truth, which Christ spake of, he goes out as it were deriding him, saying, what is Truth? Presently he goeth out to the Jews, v. 38. and tells them, he found in him no fault at all, and offers to release him, but this we shall meet with in our Evangelist by and by, the passages hereto mentioned are only related by Iohn. Excepting only the Question, Art thou the King of the Iews? and our Saviours Answer, Thou sayest it. which is reported by all.

Marginal references: 1 Tim. 6.13.

14 And he answered him to never a word, insomuch that the governour marvelled greatly.

Mark saith much the same, Ch. 15.3, 4, 5. These things were before Pilate went out to the People, and told them, that he found no fault in him at all: and offered to release Barabbas unto them. Then seemeth to me to follow in order, what we have in Luke, 23. from the 5th. v. to the 17th. in these Words. And they were the more fierce, saying, He stirreth up the People, Teaching from all Iewry beginning from Galilee to this place. The constant charge which we shall observe, was laid upon all the Ministers of the Gospel from Christs time, Tertullus the Roman Advocate, thus charged Paul, &c. when Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether the Man were a Galilean. And as soon as he knew that he belonged to Herods Iurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who himself was also at Jerusalem at that time. After the Death of Herod the great, who dyed soon after our Saviour was Born (as we heard before) The Scepter departed from Judah, there were no more Kings. The Government of Jewry was turned into a Tetrachy, divided into four Provinces, each of which had a Governour, who was called the Tetrarch of that Providence. You have the Division, and the Names of the Tetrarchs, Luke 3.1. where you will find that Herod was Tetrarch of Galilee. Our Saviour being taken within the Jurisdiction of Pilate, it seemeth not to have been necessary for Pilate to have sent him to Herod, but a Complement to satisfy his Curiosity. For (saith Luke.) When Herod saw Iesus, he was exceeding glad, for he was desirous to see him of a long Season, because he had heard many things of him, and he hoped to have seen some Miracle done by him. Then he questioned with him in many Words, but he answered him nothing. And the Chief Priests, and Scribes stood, and Vehemently accused him. And Herod with his Men of War, set him at nought, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a Gorgeous Robe, and sent him again to Pilate. And the same Day Pilate and Herod, were made Friends together▪ for before they were at Enmity between themselves. This is now all Historical, and hath in it nothing difficult. Christ had spent most of his time in Galilee (which was Herods Tetrarchy) tho Herod had not seen him, yet he had heard much of him, and had the Curiosity to desire to see him, hoping that our Saviour would have wrought some Miracle before him. But he failed in his Expectation. He propounds several Questions to him. Our Saviour being not before a proper Judge, answereth him nothing. So as there was nothing done, only the Chief Priests, and Scribes followed him with Incessant Clamours. Herod and his Guard, Vilify and mock him, put him on a Gorgeous Robe, and send him back to Pilate. All the effect of this was, Herod was pleased with Pilates Complement, and from that Day was reconciled to Pilate, tho there had been a former Enmity betwixt them, only as we shall hear hereafter, Herod Decreeing nothing against Christ, Pilate made some use of it, in his indeavours to have delivered our Saviour.

18 For he knew that for envy they had delivered him.

Mark saith, Ch. 15. v. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. Now at that Feast, he released unto them one Prisoner whomsoever they desired. And there was one Named Barabbas, which lay bound with them that had made insurrection with him, who had committed Murder in the Insurrection. And the Multitude crying aloud, begun to desire him to do as he had ever done unto them. But Pilate answered them, saying, will ye that I release unto you the King of the Iews? (for he knew that the Chief Priests had delivered him for Envy) but the Chief Priests moved the People, that he should rather release Barabbas unto them. Luke hath this passage of the History more fully, Ch. 23.13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18. And Pilate when he had called together, the Chief Priests, the Rulers, and the People, said unto them, you have brought this Man unto me, as one that perverteth the People, and behold I having examined him before you, have found no fault in this Man, touching those things whereof you accuse him. No, nor yet Herod, for I sent you to him, and [illegible: 1 letter]o nothing worthy of Death is done unto him. I will therefore Chastise him, and Release him, for of necessity he must Release one unto them at the Feast. And they cryed out all at once, saying, Away with this Man, and release unto us Barabbas, who for a certain Sedition made in the City, and for Murder, was cast into Prison. Iohn Ch. 18.38, 39, 40. saith, that when he went out he told them, he found no fault in him at all. But you have a Custom, that I should Release unto you one at the Passover, will you therefore that I release unto you the King of the Iews. Then cryed they all again, saying, Not this Man, but Barabbas, now Barabbas was a Robber. The History is plain, Pilate discerned upon his before mentioned Examination of Christ, that our Saviour had done nothing amiss, but was only Loaded with the Malice, and Envy of the Chief Priests and Scribes, this made him resolve to do what in him lay to deliver him. He first tells them that they had brought him before him, accused him of many things, but had proved against him nothing Criminal, That he had sent him to Herod, in whose Jurisdiction he had lived, but neither did Herod find any fault in him. Now there was a Custom that ever at the Passover, the Governour released a Prisoner at the request of the People: The People desired he would keep their old Custom in this particular, Pilate propoundeth to them, to release the King of the Iews. The Chief Priests influence the People to declare their Disatisfaction at that, and to Name one Barabbas, a Prisoner who was a Robber, and had been guilty of an Insurrection, and of Murder committed in the Insurrection, accordingly the People cry out. Not this Man but Barabbas. This makes him again to return to the Iudgment Seat.

20 But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude, that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus.

Matthew only mentioneth this passage of Pilates Wife, whether it was when Pilate sate upon the Iudgment Seat the second time (the Story of which we have heard) or afterward is uncertain. Nor is it material, she doubtless referreth to some late Dream, which possibly she mig[illegible: 2 letters] have after her Husband was gone from her, for he was called [illegible: 1 word]. Whether this Dream was caused by God for a further Testimony of Christ Innocency, or were meerly natural cannot be determined. But still the cry holdeth. Not him, but Barabbas. So much Influence had the Wicked Priests upon the People.

Marginal references: Joh. 18.40. Act 13.14.

23 And the governour said, why? what evil hath he done. But they cryed out the more, saying, Let him be crucified.

Mark hath the same, Ch. 15. v. 12, 13, 14. So also, Luk. Ch. 23.20, 21, 22, 23. saith Pilate, therefore willing to rease Iesus, spake again to them: But they cryed, saying, Crucifie him, Crucifie him. And he said unto them, the third time, why what Evil hath he done? I have found no Cause of Death in him, I will therefore Chastise him and let him go. And they were instant with loud Voyces, requiring that he might be Crucified, and the Voyces of them, and of the Chief Priests prevailed. Iohn, Ch. 19. from v. 1.13. hath yet more Circumstances relating to the latter part of this Tryal, which follow. Then Pilate therefore took Iesus, and scourged him. And the Soldiers platted a Crown of Thorns, and put it on his Head, and they put on him a Purple Robe: And said, Hail King of the Iews, and they smote him with their Hands. Pilate therefore went forth again, and said unto them: Behold I bring him forth unto you, that you may know I find no fault in him. Then came Iesus forth, wearing the Crown of Thorns, and the Purple Robe. And Pilate saith unto them: Behold the Man! When the Chief Priests therefore, and Officers saw him, they Cryed out, saying, Crucifie him, Crucifie him? Pilate saith unto them, Take ye him and Crucifie him, for I find no fault in him. The Iews answered him: We have a Law, and by our Law he ought to dye, because he made himself the Son of God. When Pilate therefore heard that Saying, he was the more afraid. And went again into the Iudgment Hall, and saith unto Iesus, whence art thou? But Iesus gave no Answer: Then Pilate saith unto him, speakest thou not unto me? Knowest thou not, that I have Power to Crucifie thee, and have Power to release thee? Iesus saith, thou could'st have no Power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: Therefore he that hath delivered me unto thee, hath the greater sin. And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him, but the Iews Cryed out, saying, If thou lettest this Man go, thou art not Cesars Friend: He that maketh himself a King, speaks against Cesar. I have not given the Reader at one view, what all the Evangelists say, as thinking it scarce possible from them all, to set down the Order, how things passed at this Tryal; but only that I might take notice of what was remarkable in it, related from one or other of them. The reason of our reading so often of Pilats going out, and then again coming on to the Iudgment Seat, seemeth to be, because as we heard before, the Iews would not come into Pilates House, but stood at the Door; and on the other side I conceive, that he could not proceed judicially, but sitting upon the Tribunal, or Seat of Iudgment. So as, tho he could proceed in Judgment within the House, [illegible: 1 letter]ith the Attendance of his own Servants, Souldiers, and Officers: Yet, when he had any thing to propound to the Iews, he went out; we cannot think, that the Evangelists report all the things the Iews objected against our Saviour, nor all the Questions by Pontius Pilate propounded to him. For the Evangelists tells us, Summarily. That they accused him of many things, and Pilate saith, Hearest thou not, how many things they Witness against thee? There was it seems, but one thing that they most insisted upon, that was, his making himself a King, as to which we heard before, how our Lord cleared himself. In the whole Process of this Tryal, these things are remarkable. 1. Our Saviours Silence. 2. Pilates Equity. 3. The Rage and Madness of the Chief Priests, Scribes and People. Our Saviours Silence confirms to us, that piece of the Law of Nature. That no Man is bound to accuse himself. Pilates Equity appears in many things, 1. He would not Condemn him, without a particular hearing of his Cause himself, he would not force him to accuse himself; he accepts our Saviours Vindication of himself, as to the great thing wherewith he was Charged, he twice declares, that he found no fault in him, he studies Expedients, to deliver an innocent Person from their Rage: He sends him to Herod, and obtains his Concurrent Suffrage to his innocency, he offereth to release him according to a Custom, they had at the Passover▪ to deliver one, whomsoever they desired, when this would not do, he caused him to be Scourged, then brings him out to them again, hoping to have moved them to Compassion, by that lighter Punishment of him. The Rage and Madness of the Iews, Principally of the Chief Priests, and Scribes, appeared in their urging, to have had our Saviour Condemned without hearing, their excessive Clamours against him. Their preferring one before him, who was a Robber, a Murderer, one that had made a publick Insurrection; their insisting so much upon the kind of Death, that he should dye. viz. by Crucifying him, tho in that, they did both fulfil the Councel of God, who had determined: That he should be made a Curse for us, and it was written, Cursed is every one that hangeth upon the Tree, Gal. 3.13. and what himself had Prophesied, that he should be delivered to the Gentiles, and they should Mock, and Scourge, and Crucifie him, Mat. 20.17. But that which is most remarkable is: The Providence of God, for the Evidencing of our Saviour's innocency. Pilates Wife calls him a just Man, Pilate, twice tells them, that he found no fault in him. They are able to say nothing, when Pilate asks them. W[illegible: 1 letter]at Evil he had done! Herod o[illegible: 1 letter] je[illegible: 1 letter]ts nothing again[illegible: 1 letter]t him He is mee[illegible: 1 letter]ly Condemned, upon the [illegible: 1 word] Cl[illegible: 2 letters]o[illegible: 1 letter]r an[illegible: 1 letter] R[illegible: 1 letter]ge of the Rabble ince[illegible: 1 letter]sed, and set on [illegible: 1 word] by the [illegible: 1 word] Pri[illegible: 1 letter]sts, and P[illegible: 1 letter]a[illegible: 2 letters]sees. The Art of these his Adversaries, is also ob[illegible: 1 letter]ervab[illegible: 1 letter]e, because it is the same which the E[illegible: 1 letter]e[illegible: 1 letter]ies of the Gospel deriving fro[illegible: 1 letter] th[illegible: 1 letter]s [illegible: 1 word] P[illegible: 1 letter]ttern, have ever since observe[illegible: 1 letter] ▪ in the Exec[illegible: 1 letter]tion of their Malice against the Preachers, and faithful Profe[illegible: 1 letter]sors of the Gospel. They durst [illegible: 1 letter]ot [illegible: 1 word] upon the Doctrine, which our Saviour Preached: Which w[illegible: 1 letter]s t[illegible: 1 letter]e tr[illegible: 1 letter]e C[illegible: 2 letters]se of their Malice against him, but bring him under a C[illegible: 1 letter]arge of Treason, and Sedition; as if he had gone about▪ to make him[illegible: 1 letter]elf a King in opposition to the Roman Emperour: Tho there was not the lea[illegible: 1 letter]t Pretence for any such thing▪ an[illegible: 1 letter] if there had, none who considereth that they were a Conquered Peop[illegible: 1 letter]e, and how Zealous they upon all occasions shewed themselves, for their Civil Liberties, can imagine t[illegible: 1 letter]ey▪ had any great kindness for Cesar. It is very observable, That Malice against Re[illegible: 1 letter]igion and Godliness, and a D[illegible: 1 letter]sire of the Extirpation of it, and the Professors of it, is the Predominant Lust in the Hearts of wicked Men. To serve this, they not only deny their own Reason, and Principles of common Justice, but deny themselves likewise, in some other Lusts. And herein they shew themselves the true Seed of the Serpent, and the Children of the Devil, whose Works they do; who though he be the Proudest Spirit, yet to destroy a Soul▪ will abate his Pride, t[illegible: 1 letter]uckle to a poor Witch, and go upon her Errands.

26 Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be cru[illegible: 1 letter]i[illegible: 1 letter]ied.

Mark saith▪ Ch. 15. v. 15. So Pilate willing to content the People, released Bara[illegible: 1 letter]bas unto them, and de[illegible: 1 letter]ivered Iesus, w[illegible: 1 letter]en he had Scourged [illegible: 1 letter]im to be C[illegible: 1 letter]u[illegible: 1 letter]ified. Luke, Ch. 23.24. Saith, And Pilate gave Sentence, that it should be as they required. And he released unto them him, that for Sedition and M[illegible: 1 letter]rder, was c[illegible: 1 letter]st into Prison, whom they had desired, but he delivered Iesus to their Will. Iohn saith, Ch. 19. v. 13. [illegible: 2 letters]en Pilate therefore heard that saying, He brought Iesus [illegible: 1 word], and sate down in the Iudgment Seat, in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew Gabbatha, and it was the Preparation of the Passover, and about the sixth [illegible: 1 letter]our, and he saith unto the Iews: Behold your King. But t[illegible: 1 letter]ey Cryed out, Away with him, Crucifie him. Pilate saith unto them. Shall I Crucifie your King? The Chief Priests answered, We have no King but Cesar. Then delivered he him, therefore unto them, to be Crucified.—Here are three Accounts given, of Pilates coming over to the Iews Desire to condemn C[illegible: 1 letter]rist, contrary to the Conviction of his own Conscience, for he had twice declared, that he found no fault in him. Matthew saith, He saw he could not prevail any thing, but rather a Tum[illegible: 2 letters]t was made. Mark saith, he did it to content the People. Iohn saith, It was upon the hearing of that, saying, If thou lettest this Man go, thou art not Cesars Friend: W[illegible: 1 letter]osoever maketh [illegible: 1 word] a King, speaketh against Cesar. His fear of being accused to the Emperour Ti[illegible: 1 letter]erius, as Favouring one, who made himself a King, e[illegible: 1 letter]pecially, if his opposing the Iews in their de[illegible: 1 letter]ire of his Death, should have caused a Tumult, was Questionless the great thing that moved him, to give Judgment in this C[illegible: 1 letter]se contrary to his own Conscience; and this is the meaning of his contenting the People, mentioned by Mark. It is plain by the whole [illegible: 2 letters]ory, he had no min[illegible: 1 letter] to gratifie, or gain Favour with them, but considering how jealous and suspicious a Prince Taberius was, it w[illegible: 1 letter]s [illegible: 1 word] Intere[illegible: 1 letter]t to qu[illegible: 1 letter]et them, and to give them no occasion of Accu[illegible: 1 letter]ing him unto the Emperour. He taketh Water and washed his Hands before the multitude. It was the Law of God in Man-slaughter, where he that slew t[illegible: 1 letter]e Man was not known, the Priests and Elders of the City, that (upon measure) shou[illegible: 1 letter]d be found nearest to the dead Body, shoul[illegible: 1 letter] take an H[illegible: 1 letter]ifer, and bring it to a rough Val[illegible: 1 letter]ey, and strike off its Head, and wash their Hands over the Head of th[illegible: 1 letter] beheaded [illegible: 1 letter]eifer: An[illegible: 1 letter] say, Our Hands have not shed this Blood, neither have our Eyes seen it, Deut. 21.1, 2, 3▪ 4, 5, 6, 7. Some think, that Pilate living amongst the Iews, had learned this Rite from them; but others think, that it was a Rite used in Protestations of Innocenc[illegible: 1 letter] amongst other People, as well as the Iews. But it was a great Fondne[illegible: 1 letter]s in Pilate, to think this excused him, and free'd him from the Guilt of our Saviour's Death. For there was such an inseparable Guilt clove to the Act, as nothing could expiate, but that Blood which he spilt. Those who take upon them the Trust of executing Laws, had need to take heed what they do, for the Law will not excuse them in the Court of Heaven, unless it be found according to the Law of God; what Pilate did, he did but Ministerially▪ The Law condemned, not he, b[illegible: 1 letter]t if it be understood of the Law of God about Blasphemy, to which the Jews undoubtedly referred. Iohn 18.33.36. it was misapplyed. I[illegible: 1 letter] it were a Roman Law, Pilate ought to have considered the Equity and Justice of it, and whither the Fact was proved or no, Pilate had twice owned, There was no fault in him. His washing his hands could not purge him of the Murder, whereof he was Guilty in his Condemnation, he did but Protest against what he immediately was about to do. Then answered all the People, and said, His Blood be upon us and our Children. His Blood, that is, the Guilt of his Blood, be upon us, &c. A mo[illegible: 1 letter]t sad imprecation, the effect of which hath been upon that Miserahle People, now more than sixteen hundred years. T[illegible: 1 letter]en released he Barrabbas to them, and having Scourged Iesus, &c. The Scourging was before this, and so recorded by St. Iohn (for we cannot imagine that he was twice Scourged.) He delivered him to be Cruci[illegible: 1 letter]yed. Not to the Jews, but to his own Officers, for it was a Civil Crime that he was accused of before Pilate, and Crucifying was a Roman Punishment.

31 And after they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own rayment on him, and led him away to crucify him.

Mark hath the same, Ch. 15.17, 18, 19, 20, only he saith, they put upon him a Purple Robe, Iohn seemeth to mention this a little out of order, Chap. 19.1, 2, 3, 4. as done before his Condemnation, for tho some t[illegible: 1 letter]ink that Matthew and Mark rather mention these things out o[illegible: 1 letter] their due order, yet the abuses seem more likely to be done to a Person, who was Condemned, and so De[illegible: 1 letter]d in Law, than while he was upon his Tryal. Writers tell us that none might be Crucifyed before he was Scourged, and that not with Rods (which was the Jewish manner, but with Whips (far more cr[illegible: 1 letter]e[illegible: 1 letter]ly) but whether it was before, or after Condemnation we are not certain: He was Condemned upon that Article. That he should say, he was the King of the Iews. To mock him therefore, they set a Crown on his Head, but of Thorns, they put a Scepter into his Hand, but it was of a Reed, they bowed the knee before him, as was wont to Princes. They put on him a Robe or Purple, or Scarlet, both which were used by Princes. In short they put upon him all the Indignities, and marks of Scorn imaginable. When they had thus glutted themselves, they restore his own Garment to him, and lead him away to the place of Execution. Who can Read these things with a believing Heart, and dry Eyes? if he remembers, that our Sins platted the Crown of Thorns set upon our Saviours Head, and made the Whips with which he was Scourged? Our Stomacks (when we read these things) are ready to rise against the Pagan Souldiers, but how little did they do in Comparison of what Christ suffered for our Sins? Who can read these things, and not be fortifyed against Temptations, from suffering if we will own the Gospel, and cause of Christ? Our sufferings will come much short of what Christ hath suffered for us.

34 They gave him vinegar to drink, mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink.

Mark saith, Ch. 15.21. And they compelled one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by coming out of the Country, the Father of Alexander, and Rufus, to bear his Cross. And they bring him unto the place Golgotha, which is, being interpreted the place of a Skull. And they gave him to drink Wine, mingled with Myrrh; but he received it not. Luke is larger in his Account of the passages, betwixt his Condemnation and Crucifixion, Ch. 23.26. to v. 33. And as they led him, they laid hold on one Simon a Cyrenian coming out of the Country, and on him they laid the Cross, that he might bear it after Iesus. And there followed him a great Company of People, and of Women, which also bewailed, and lamented him. But Iesus turning unto them, said, Daughters of Ierusalem, weep not for me, but for your selves, and for your Children: For behold the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the Barren, and the Womb that never bare, and the Paps which never gave Suck. Then shall they begin to say to the Mountains fall on us, and to the Hills cover us. For if they do thus, in a Green Tree, what shall be done in the dry? And there were also two other Malefactors led with him [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 letter]e put to Death. Iohn, Ch. 19.17. saith no more then, And [illegible: 1 word] bearing his Cross, went forth into a place, ca[illegible: 1 letter]led the place of a Skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha. Matthew and Mark and Luke say, That a Countryman, one Simon a Cyrenian, (compelled to it by the Soldiers) carried the Cross after Christ. Iohn saith, that he himself bare it. Both were doubtless true, some say that Christ himself did carry it through the City, and when he was out of the City, this Simon carried it. Others think, that Christ being wearied, Simon took it, but reason will tell us, that the Cross was too heavy a piece of Timber for one to bear, and therefore Simon was compelled to bear the hinder part, therefore Luke saith, he bare it after Iesus: The Dispute, whether this Simon was a Native Iew, tho an inhabitant of Cyrene, or a Proselyted, Cyrenian, or as yet a Pagan, and whether this Cyrene was one of the ten Cities, comprehended in the Name Decapolis, is not worth spending any Words about: All the Evangelists agree, that he was Crucified at Golgotha, Luke calls it Calvary, they are both Names of the same Signification. The place of a Skull, the one is the Hebrew term, the other Latine: And they gave him Vinegar to drink, mingled with Gall. Mark saith, Wine mingled with Myrrh: There is so great a Cognation between Wine, and Vinegar, that it is no wonder if one Evangelist calls it Vinegar, another Wine, which, if it be acid, is Vinegar. The word translated Gall, signifies all Bitterness; w[illegible: 1 letter]ether it be caused from Gall, or Myrrh. Some think, th[illegible: 1 letter]t some good People gave him Wine, and the Soldiers added Myrrh to it. But this is a great incertainty: Certain it is, that it was an ordinary Favour they shewed to dying Persons, to give the[illegible: 1 letter] some Intoxicating Potion, to make them less sensible of their Pain: It is probable, it was something of this Nature; but our Saviour was not afraid to dye, and so had no need of suc[illegible: 1 letter] an Antidote ag[illegible: 1 letter]inst the Pain of it, he refused it: We shall [illegible: 1 letter]ind they afterward gave him something to drink also. Luke tells us, that gre[illegible: 1 letter]t multitudes followed him to the place of Execution (which is still very ordinary) Lamenting him, to whom our Saviour saith, Daughters of Ierusalem, Weep not for me, bu[illegible: 1 letter] for [illegible: 1 letter]our selves, and for your Children; and then prophesiet[illegible: 1 letter] the Miseries that should follow his Death, to that degree, that the Barren should bless themselves; and they all should say to the Mountains fall on us, and to the Hills cover us. He bids the women Weep only for themselves and for their Children: For how much better is it, for Persons of any Tenderness to have no Children, then to have Children, and to see them dashed against the Stones, as was threatned to Babylon, Psal. 137.9. or to Kill them for the Parents Sustenance, as it happened in Ahab's time, or to see them slain before the Parents Faces, as it happened to Zedekiah, when the Enemy took Ierusalem, Ier. 52.10. The People also, he saith, should (as it was of old Prophesied of those of Samaria) Hos. 20.8. Cry to the Mountains to cover them, and to the Hills to fall on them: A Proverbial Expression, to signifie their wishing themselves dead and under Ground, or expounded by Isaiah 2.19. And they shall go into the Holes of the Rocks, and into the Caves of the Earth, for Fear of the Lord, and for the Glory of his Majesty, when he shall arise to shake Terribly the Earth. See the like Expressions, Rev. 6.16. & 9.6. In those days, Men shall seek Death, and shall not find it, and shall desire to dye, and Death shall flee from them. For if they do thus to the green Tree, what shall be done to the dry? It is another Proverbial Expression, which may either be understood Impersonally. If they do, that is, if it be thus done to. If God suffers them thus to do to me, who am his Son, what shall be done to you? Who are but as dry Sticks, and so fitter for the Fire. If Iudgment begin at the House of God, where shall the Wicked and ungodly appear? 1 Pet. 4.17.

Marginal references: Psal▪ [illegible: 1 letter]9. [illegible: 2 letters] ▪

37 And set up over his head, his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

Mark, Ch. 15.24, 25. &c. saith, W[illegible: 1 letter]en they had Crucified him, they parted his Garments, casting Lots upon them, what every one should take, and it was the third hour, and they Crucified him: And the Superscription of his Accusation was written over, The King of the Iews. And with him they Crucified two Thieves, the one on his right Hand, and the other on his left. And the Scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbred with the Transgressors. Luke 23.33. saith, And when they came to a place called Calvary, there they Crucified him, and the Malefactors, one on the right Hand, and the other on the left. Then said Iesus, Father forgive them, for they know not what they do. And they parted his Rayment, and cast Lots. Iohn telleth us some further Circumstances, Ioh. 19.18. Where they Crucified him, and two others with him, on either side one, and Iesus in the midst. And Pilate wrote a Title, and put it on the Cross, and the Writing was Iesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews: This Title then read many of the Jews, for the place where Iesus was Crucified was nigh to the City, and it was written in Hebrew and Greek, and Latine. Then said the Chief Priests of the Jews to Pilate, write not the King of the Jews. Pilate answered, what I have written, I have written. Then the Souldiers, when they had Crucified him, took his Garments, and made four parts, to every Souldier a part, and also his Coat, now the Coat was without Seame woven from the top to the bottom: They said therefore amongst themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast Lots for it, whose it shall be: That the Scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my Rayment amongst them, and for my Vesture did they cast Lots. These things the[illegible: 1 letter]efore the Souldiers did. And they Crucified him. That is, four Souldiers, as we learn from Iohn's narration of this matter of Fact; it seemeth this business was assigned to four more especially: This Crucifying was a bitter, & shameful kind of Death, not in use amongst the Jews, but among[illegible: 1 letter]t the Romans, the manner of it is not particularly known to us: But as it is described by Writers, a piece of Wood was erected, which was crossed with a Bar upon the top. The Body of the Person being fastned to the main piece of Wood, his Arms were extended, and nailed to the cross Bar, or piece of Timber, and his hands and Feet were nailed. Mark saith, It was about the third hour, which with us was about nine of the Clock: So hasty they were, in destroying this just Person, that betwixt Midnight and nine of the Clock in the Morning, they apprehended him, Tryed, and Condemned him in the Sanhedrim, or at least, in a Court of High Priests, and Elders, and then before Pilate the Roman Governour, and led him to be Crucified, and nailed him to his Cross. The Evangelists tell us, he was crucified in the middle, betwixt two Thieves (of whom we shall read more afterward) several Scriptures of the old Testament, were fulfilled in this Crucifixion of Christ. They pierced my Hands, and my Feet, Psal. 22.16. was fulfilled in his nailing to the Cross. In his being Crucified betwixt two Theeves, was fulfilled that Isaiah 53.12. He was numbered with the Transgressors. That of the Psalmist, Psal. 22.18. They parted my Garments amongst them, and upon my Vesture did they cast Lots, was fulfilled, in the Soldiers parting of our Saviour's Garments (as their Fee) but how could they part them, and yet not rend them? po[illegible: 1 letter]sibly they parted his other Garments, and only did cast Lots for his Coat, or upper Garment. Or, it may be they valued it, and agreed each Mans share, and then cast Lots for the whol[illegible: 1 letter]. I see no Ground for their Assertion, who say, that in such Cases they only stripped the Condemned Person of his upper Garment, Iohn's Relation seemeth to oppose it, he saith, And also his Coat. Matthew, Mark, and Iohn, all agree in the Inscription, which Pilate drew to be put upon his Cross, signifying the Crime for which he died, only Iohn puts in those words (of Nazareth.) Thus Christ died in the Attestation of his Kingly Office. This Inscription angred the Iews, they sollicit Pilate to alter it, and that it might be, Who said he was the King of the Jews. But Pilate refused, saying, What I have written, I have written. There was nothing more pleasing to Pilate, than this, (as he thought) to deride the Iews, as having such a despicable Person (as he judged him) their King: In the mean time the Counsels of God have their Effect; Christ in his Death, is declared to be the King of the Iews. Luke saith, that Christ said, F[illegible: 1 letter]ther forgive them, for they know not what they do. Whether these Words were spoken, when our Lord was first Nailed to the Cross, or afterward is not much Material. Luke relates them before the Soldiers▪ parting his Garments. Our Saviour by them declares himself a true Pastor, and Shepherd of Souls, teaching his Disciples no more, than he himself did Practice, Cahp 5.44. He had taught his Disciples to pray for them, who despitefully used▪ and Persecuted them. Himself here practiceth it: The Malice of Men ought not to quench in Christians, the Grace of God. Let us now consider the passage that happened, from the time he was nailed to the Cross, until the time of his Expiration, which was more than three entire hours.

44 The theeves also which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth.

Mark relateth this part of the History, with no Material Circumstance differing from Matthew, Ch. 15.29, 30.31, 32. Luke, saith, Ch. 23.39, 40. 41, 42, 43. And one of the Malefactors whcih were Hanged, Railed on him, saying, If thou be the Christ, save thy self and us. But the other answering, rebuked him, saying, Doest thou not fear God, seeing thou art in the same Condemnation, and we indeed justly, for we have the due reward of our deeds, but this Man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Iesus, Lord remember me, when thou comest into thy Kingdom. And Iesus said unto him, Verily, I say unto thee. To day thou shalt be with me in Paradise. Iohn saith, Ch. 19.25, 26, 27, 28, 29. Now there stood by the Cross of Iesus his Mother, and his Mothers Sister, Mary▪ the Wife of Cleophas. and Mary Magdalene, when Iesus therefore saw his Mother, and the Disciple standing by whom he loved, [illegible: 1 word] saith to his Mother, Woman behold thy Son, Then saith he [illegible: 1 letter]o the Disciple, behold thy Mother, and from that time, the Disciple took her to his own home. After this, Iesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, sai[illegible: 1 letter]h, I Thirst. Now there was set a Vess[illegible: 1 letter]el ful[illegible: 1 letter] of Vinegar▪ and they filled a Spunge with Vinegar, and put it upon [illegible: 1 word], and put it to his Mouth. W[illegible: 1 letter]en Iesus therefore had received the Vinegar, he said, It is finished. Matthew, and Mark rel[illegible: 1 letter]te more particularly, what abuses our Saviour suffered, while he hung dying upo[illegible: 1 letter] the Cross. 1. From Passengers. 2. From t[illegible: 1 letter]e [illegible: 1 word] P[illegible: 1 letter]i[illegible: 1 letter]sts, Scribes and Elders. Nothing is more inhum[illegible: 1 letter]ne then to mock such as are in the most extream, and utmost Misery, and it is what we seldom hear from the wor[illegible: 1 letter]t of Men, b[illegible: 1 letter]t for the Chi[illegible: 1 letter]f Priests and Elders, the Magistrates and Rulers of the Iews, to be G[illegible: 1 letter]ilty of such a Barbarous behaviour is am[illegible: 1 letter]zing. That not the ordinary Pri[illegible: 1 letter]sts only, but the Chief Priests, That is, either such as had been in the Office of High Priests, or else so[illegible: 1 letter]e of the mo[illegible: 1 letter]t Ancient and Grave Men of the Priests, that, not the Hot-he[illegible: 2 letters]ed Young Men amongst the Iews, but the Elders of Israel, should be so rude, as not only to be[illegible: 2 letters]ve the[illegible: 1 letter]selves un[illegible: 1 letter]ecently, to a Man in the extremest Misery; who[illegible: 1 letter] they ought to have Pittied, and for whom they ought at this time to have been praying, but also forgetting all Reverence to God, to say, He trusted in God, let him now deli [illegible: 2 letters]r him, if he will have him. Jeering all Faith, and trusting in Go[illegible: 1 letter]; and as it were defying Gods Power, and saying with Nebuchadnezzar, Dan. 3.15. W[illegible: 1 letter]o is that God, that shall deliver you o[illegible: 1 letter]t [illegible: 1 letter]f my Hands? This is justly surprizing, and lets us see to w[illegible: 1 letter]at an heigth of Wickedness the Iews were come, and co[illegible: 1 letter]firms us in this. That if those who serve the Lord in publick places, especially in Ho[illegible: 1 letter]y things, be not the best of Men, they are the wo[illegible: 2 letters]. Having more knowledge of the Will of God t[illegible: 1 letter]en others, if they have once mastered their Consciences, they become the vile[illegible: 1 letter]t of Men, and the most Prodig[illegible: 1 letter]ous Patterns o[illegible: 1 letter] Atheisme, and all Wickedness. It lets us also see to what a Degree [illegible: 1 word] and Covetousness will Debauch Souls, and teach us to fear sinning against our Light, and Convictions. All this was foretold by the Prophet David, Psal. 22. v. 8. and so must be. But the nece[illegible: 1 letter]sity of the Event, by no means excused the Sin[illegible: 1 letter]ulne[illegible: 1 letter]s of the Act, nor made God the Author of these Mens Si[illegible: 1 letter]s M[illegible: 1 letter]tthew sait[illegible: 1 letter], The Thieves also which were Crucifie[illegible: 1 letter] with him, cast the same in his Teeth. Luke saith, only one of them did so. Some think that at the first, they both reviled him, b[illegible: 1 letter]t the Heart of one of them was changed, while he hung upon the Cro[illegible: 1 letter]s, but it is no unusual thing in Scripture, to use the Plural N[illegible: 1 letter]mber for the Singular, and the Number may be under[illegible: 2 letters]ood, not so much to refer to the Persons, as their Qualities, they were both Thieves, tho but one of them reviled our S[illegible: 1 letter]viour. Or what hinders, but that they both might desire Christ to put forth his Po[illegible: 1 letter]er to deliver them, tho one of them further rivi[illegible: 1 letter]ed him, by Words which the Evangelists have not set down Luke tells us, that one of these Thieves rebuked his Fellow, and cleared Christs Innocency. Thus▪ God had that Honour from a Thief, which was denyed him by the Chief Priests and Elders. He can of Stones raise up Children to Abraham. He begs of Christ to Remember him when he came into his Kingdom, discovering an Eminent Faith in Christ, he is rewarded, by Christ telling him. To day thou shalt be with me in Paradise. A plain Text to prove that Souls, neitheir Sleep nor Dye with the Body, but immediately pass into their Eternal Mansions. Iohn addeth, that there stood by the Cross of Jesus, his Mother and her Si[illegible: 2 letters]er, Mary the W[illegible: 1 letter]fe of Cleopas, and Mary Magdalene, and mentions our Saviours recommending his Mother to the Care of his beloved Disciple, and tells us of Iohns care of her: the other three Evangeli[illegible: 2 letters]s mention their being there, but standing afar of, which might both be true, they being nearer the Cross at [illegible: 1 letter]ir[illegible: 1 letter]t, then removing themselves further of. Iohn further mentioneth the[illegible: 1 letter]r giving our Saviour (upon his saying I Thirst) Vinegar to Drink. It is very probable, this was but a kindness they d[illegible: 1 letter]d usually shew to Malefactors, dying that kind of Death, when they were so long a time dying, but the Evangelist tells us, that in our Saviours Case, there was a Scripture to be fulfilled, Psal. 69.21. In my Thirst they gave me Vinegar to Drink: whether David there spake in the Person of Christ, or what was at that time p[illegible: 1 letter]imarily fulfilled in David, was at that time fulfilled in Christ as his Antitype, is not much material for us to know; that the Text related to Christ, and was fulfilled in him, we are assured by the Evangelist. This giving of Christ to Drink, was distinct from that we meet with before, as may appear by the many different Circumstances. That he refused▪ this he received, and said, It is finished. My pa[illegible: 1 letter]sion is finished, or upon the finishing.

50 Jesus when he had cryed again with a loud voice yielded up the Ghost.

Mark hath the same, Chap. 15. from v. 33. to v. 38. Luke saith, Ch. 23, 44. That it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the Earth, unto the ninth Hour. And the Sun was darkned, and the Vail of the Temple was Rent in the midst. And when Iesus had cryed with a loud Voice, he said, Father into thy Hands I commend my Spirit. And having said thus, he gave up the Ghost. Iohn saith no more, Ch. 19.30. but that—he bowed his Head, and gave up the Ghost. It is said Iohn 19.14. It was about the sixth Hour, when Pilate brought forth Chirst to the Jews, how then could he be Crucified at the third Hour? and the Darkness begin at the sixth. The different ways the Iews, and the Romans had of counting Hours, make us to be at a loss sometimes, as to Circumstances of time to reconcile some Scriptures. But as to the present difficulty, it is said that the Jews as they divided the Night into four Watches, so they also divided the Day into four parts, each part having his Denomination from the succeeding part, by which Name all the intermediate time was called. Thus when the third Hour (which with us is nine of the Clock) was past, they called all the sixth Hour till past twelve. Thus Pilate Condemned Christ in the beginning of the sixth Hour, and the darkness began at the end of it, that is, after twelve, for dividing the day into Quadrants, the Hours had their Denomination from them. Iohn also saith no more, then about the sixth Hour, which is true if it were some small time after. There was darkness over all the Land, till the ninth Hour. That this darkness was caused by the Eclipse of the Sun at that time of the Day is plain enough, but that this was no Eclipse in the ordinary course of Nature is evident, for 1. whereas all Eclipses use to be in the time of the New Moon, this was, when the Moon was at the Full, the fifteenth Day of the Month Nisan: 2. This Eclipse was not seen in one part or in another, but over all the Earth, that was under the same Hemisphear. 3. No Eclipse in a natural Course can last three Hours. So that plainly this was a Miraculous Eclipse, not caused by the Interpo[illegible: 1 letter]ition of the Moon (as other Eclipses) but by the Mighty and Extraordinary Power of God, which made an Heathen Philosopher at a great distance cry out. Either the Divine being now suffereth, or Sympathizeth with one that suffereth, he is said to have seen this Eclipse in Egypt. And about the ninth Hour, that is, about three of the Clock (as we reckon the Hours) Jesus cryed with a loud Voice, Eli, Eli, or Eloi, Eloi, Lamasabacthani. The Words are Hebrew, tho Mark reports them according to the Syriack Corruption of the Dialect. They are Davids Words, Psal. 22. v. 1. David [illegible: 1 letter]as a Type of Christ. He that was the Son of David useth Davids Words, po[illegible: 1 letter]sibly spoken by David in the Person of Christ. Gods forsaking any Person or places, must be understood with reference not to his Essential Presence, for so he filleth all places, and is present with all Persons. But with reference to the Manifestations of his Providence for our good; thus when God witholds his good Providence to us, either with respect to our outward or inward Man, he is said to forsake us. A Total forsaking either of our Bodies, or of our Souls, is not consistent with the being of our outward Man: or the Spiritual being or Life of our inward Man. All forsakings therefore in this Life, are Gradual, and Partial. The forsaking which Christ therefore here complains of, was not the Total withdrawing of Divine favour, and assistance from him (that was impossible) and incompetent with the first Words testifying his relation to God, and assistance in him, but it must be understood with respect to Gods Consolatory Manifestations, and that is testifyed by his other Words, related by Luke. Father into thy Hands I commend my Spirit. Which Words having said, he gave up the Ghost (say Matthew, Mark and Luke) Iohn addeth, That he bowed his Head, and yielded up the Ghost. Words added, to confirm what he elsewhere said. That he laid down his Life, none took it from him. His crying twice at this instant, with a loud Voice argued his Spirits not so spent, but he might have lived a few Minutes longer, but he freely laid down his Life. The People saying, he calls for Elias, when he said Eli, Eli, spake them to be Iews, who to this day dream of an Elias to come, and restore all things. That they no better distinguished betwixt Eli and Elias, must be attributed either to the Corruption of their Dialect, he saying Eloi, Eloi (according to the Syriack Corruption of the Term) or their too great distance from him. Their mocking him upon it, was but Consonant to their former behaviour toward him, while he was upon the Cross. Their giving him the Spunge with Vinegar, and Hysope, we before gave an account of.

53 And came out of the graves, after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

Mark, Ch. 15.38. mentioneth o[illegible: 1 letter]ly the rending of the Vail. No more doth Luke, Ch. 23.45. Iohn mentioneth none of these things. It pleased God to give a Testimony against this Prodigious piece of Wickedness, by Prodigious Signs, both in the Heavens, and on the Earth. In the Heavens, the Sun, as we heard before, suffered an unusual Preter-natural Eclipse which lasted three hours. In the Earth, there was an Earthquake, to that degree, that the Rocks were rent by it. Earthquakes were sometimes no more than Indications of Gods Power, and Majesty; and some think, that by this Earthquak, Christ declared his Divine Power, Psal. 68.8. Ioel 2.10. It is certain, that v. 54. the Centurion concluded from it, this was the Son ofGod. But Earthquakes, were sometimes not only the Indications of the Divine Majesty and Power, but also of his Wr[illegible: 1 letter]th, Psal. 18.7, 8. Ioel 3.16. Nahum 1.6. And such doubtless was this: To shew that the Earth abhorred what these Men had done. Besides these, The Vail of the Temple was rent, three of the Evangelists mention it. It is not much Material, whether this were the outward Vail, or the inward Vail, or Hangings, which parted the most Holy Place from the oth[illegible: 1 letter]r part of the Temple, tho probably it was the inner Veil. By this rending of the Veil, God testifyed his wrath against the Jews, and that he was leaving his Temple amongst them. The Veil also was a Type of Christs Flesh, Heb. 10.20. the Antitype being Rent, it was reasonable that the Type should also be so. By this also was shewed, that the Temple-Service was now at an end, and to continue no longer, and the partition-Wall betwixt Iew and Gentiles was pulled down. For what Matthew speaks, v. 52, 53. of the Graves opening, and the Bodies of the Saints arising, &c. probably it was not till Christs Resurrection, only Matthew puts it in here, reckoning up together all the Prodigious things that happened, for Matthew himself saith, v. 53. They came out of their Graves after his Resurrection, and it is not likely that the Graves opened any considerable time before they came out of their Graves. These now were the Prodigies which attended the Death of our Saviour.

56 Amongst which was Mary Magdalen, and Mary the mother of James, and Joses, and the mother of Zebedees chlidren.

Mark saith, Ch. 15.39, 40, 41. And when the Centurion which stood over against him, saw that he so Cryed out, and gave up the Ghost, he said, Truly this Man was the Son of God. There were also Women looking on afar off, amongst whom was Mary Magdalen, and Mary the Mother of James the less, and of Joses, and Salome; who also when he was in Galilee, followed him, and Ministred unto him, and many other Women, which came up with him to Jerusalem, Luke, Ch. 23, 47, 48, 49. saith, Now when the Centurion saw what was done, he Glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous Man. And all the People that came together to that sight, beholding the things which were done, smote their Breasts and returned. And all his A[illegible: 1 letter]quaintance, and the Women that followed him from Galilee, stood afar off beholding these things. We heard before, v. 36. That the Soldiers sate down and watched Christ. The Centurion here mentioned, was the Captain of this Watch, he seeing the Earthquake, and all the other things that were done (saith Matthew) Mark saith, When he saw that he so Cryed out, and gave up the Ghost. He Glorified God (saith Luke) Matthew and Mark tell us how he said, Truly this Man was the Son of God. Luke saith, he said, Certainly this was a righteous Man: he Glorified God by a Confession of the Truth, to the Glory of God, saying, he was a Righteous Man, and such a Righteous Man, as was also the Son of God. It seems very probable, that this Captain living amongst the Iews, had learned from them their Expectation of a Messiah; and speaketh this with reference to that, and acknowledgeth that Christ was he. Luke addeth, That all the People that came to see that sight returned, Smiting their Breasts, being convinced of the great Wickedness committed by their High Priests, and Chief Priests and Elders; and fearing that Vengeance which followed in less than forty Years (And many Women were there) these Women had followed Christ out of Galilee: Two only are named here, Mary Magdalen, who probably had her Name from Magdala a City in Galilee, and Mary the Mother of James and Ioses. Iames the less, saith Mark, to distinguish him from Iames the Son of Z[illegible: 1 letter]bedee, and the Mother of Zebedees Children, these stood afar off, these three Evangelists say. Iohn told us, Ch. 19. v. 25. That two of these were so near the Cross, with the Mother of our Lord, that he spake to them. Here we read nothing of the Mother of our Lord, probably she was gone with Iohn, to whom Christ had commended her, and the rest withdrew, and stood further off from the Cross at this time. Matthew goeth on now, describing the coming of Ioseph of Arimathea, to beg the dead Body of Christ, so doth Mark and Luke, Iohn, Ch. 19.31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37. interposeth something tending to compleat the History. The Jews therefore, because it was the Preparation, that the Bodies should not remain upon the Cross, on the Sabbath day, for that Sabbath day was [illegible: 1 word] High day, besought Christ that their Legs might be bro[illegible: 3 letters], and that they might be taken away. Then came the Soldiers, and brake the Legs of the first, and of the other which was Crucified with him. But when they came to Iesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his Legs▪ But one of the Soldiers with a Spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out Blood, and Water. And he that saw it bare Record, and his Record is true, and he knoweth that he saith true, that you might believe. For these things were done, that the Scriptures should be fulfilled. A Bone of him shall not be broken. And again another Scripture saith, They shall look upon him, whom they have pierced. The day upon which he was Crucified, was the fifteenth day of the Month Nisan, upon the Friday, as we call it; this appeareth from this Text, which saith, It was the Preparation to the Iewish Sabbath, and that Sabbath the Evangelist saith, was an High Day, not because as some think the Jews put off their Passover to that Day, but because it was the second Day of the Feast of unleavened Bread. It is true, Iohn 19.14. it is called the Preparation to the Passover, but we must remember, that all the seven Days of unleavened Bread, were so called, as I before Noted, This Day was indeed the Preparation to the Sabbath in the Paschal Week, for otherwise we must say, that Christ did not Eat the Passover the same Day that the Jews did, which invovles us in many Inextricable difficulties, and could not be if the Paschal Lamb was to be killed by the Priests, for they would not have killed it the Day before. It is therefore most probable, that Iohn 19.14. must be expounded by v. 31. and the Preparation of the Passover, v. 14. was the Preparation to the Sabbath, which falling within the compass of the seven days of unleavened Bread, was a great Day with them, especially being the day following the Eating of the Paschal Lamb. By the Law, Deut. 21.23. The Body of none that was hang'd, was to abide all Night upon the Tree. It was betwixt three and four of the Clock in the Afternoon, before that Christ dyed, they used to set some hours apart for Preparation to the Sabbath, which that Night began as soon as the Sun was set, this therefore makes them to go to Pilate, and desire the Legs of them that suffered might be broken. Pilate grants their request. The Souldiers break the Legs of the two Thieves, but when they came to Christ, they found him dead, and brake not his Legs, but a Souldier with a Spear pierceth his side. The Evangelist takes notice of these minute things (and assureth us he saw them, that we might believe) that he might shew us how in every point, the things of old spoken concerning Christ, were fulfilled in him. Chri[illegible: 1 letter]t was the true Paschal Lamb, as to which the Law was: That a Bone of it should not be broken, Exod. 12.46. Num. 9.12. or else the Evangelist referreth to Psal. 34.20. where it is said of a Righteous Man: He keepeth all his Bones, that not one of them is broken. Our Saviours Side was pierced, and that also is recorded, to let us know the fulfilling of that Scripture, Zech. 12.10. They shall look on him, whom they have pierced.

61 And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulcher

Mark hath it, Chap. 15. from v. 42. to the end. And now when the even was come, because it was the Preparat[illegible: 1 letter]on, that is, the Day before the Sabbath. Joseph of Arimathea, an Honourable Councellor, who waited for the Kingd[illegible: 2 letters] of God, came and went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the Body of I[illegible: 1 letter]sus. And Pilate marvelled if he were already dead, and calling unto him the Centurion, he asked him whether he had been any time Dead. And when he knew it of the Centurion, he gave the Body to Joseph. And he bought fine Linnen, and took him down, and wrapt him in the linnen, and laid him in a Sepulcher, which was hewd out of a Rock▪ and rolled a stone to the door of the Supulcher. And Mary Magdalene, and Mary the Mother of Iesus, beheld where he was laid. Luke hath it, Ch. 23, 50. &c. thus. And behold there was a Man Named Joseph, a Councellor, and he was a good Man, and a just. The same Man had not consented to the Counsel, and deed of them; he was of Arimathea a City of the Iews, who also himself waited for the Kingdom of God. This Man went unto Pilate, and begged the Body of Iesus. And he took it down, and wrapped it in Linnen, and laid it in a Sepulcher, that was hewn in Stone, wherein never Man before layd. And that Day was the Preparation, and the Sabbath drew on. Iohn reports it with some additions, Ch. 19.38, 39, 40, 41, 42. And after this Joseph of Arimathea, being a Disciple of Iesus, but secretly for fear of the Iews, besought Pilate, that he might take away the Body of Iesus, and Pilate gave him leave, He came therefore and took the Body of Iesus. And there came also Nicodemus (which at the first came to Iesus by Night) and brought a mixture of Myrrh, and Aloes about an hundred pound weight. Then took they the Body of Iesus, and wound it in Linnen Cloths, with the Spices, [illegible: 1 letter]as the manner of the Iews is to Bury. Now in the place where he was Crucified, there [illegible: 1 word] a Garden, and in the Garden, a new Sepulcher, wherein ne[illegible: 1 letter]er was [illegible: 1 span] laid. There laid they Iesus therefore, [illegible: 1 word] of the Iews Preparation Day, for the Sepulcher was nigh [illegible: 1 word] Hand. All [illegible: 1 letter]oar [illegible: 1 word] (as we see) repeat this Histor[illegible: 2 letters] ▪ one s[illegible: 1 letter]pp[illegible: 1 letter]y[illegible: 1 letter]ng what is wanting in another▪ towards the [illegible: 1 span] it. Nor must we think it is for nothing so punctu [illegible: 2 letters]ly related; much depended upon the Worlds Satisfaction in the Truth, and Certainty of his Death, Burial and Resurrection, [illegible: 1 letter]they are three great Articles o[illegible: 1 letter] our Faith.) We have therefore [illegible: 1 letter]ere p[illegible: 1 letter]nctually described h[illegible: 1 letter]s Burial, with all the Circumstances of it. As it is with us, so it seems it was with them. The Bodies of those who dyed as Malefactors▪ were taken to be in power of the Magisrates, to dispose of as they pleased▪ tho they were ord[illegible: 1 letter]n[illegible: 1 letter]r[illegible: 1 letter]ly granted upon Petition to their Friends and Relations. The Per[illegible: 1 letter]on who begged the Body of our Saviour, is described to us, by his N[illegible: 1 letter]me Iosep[illegible: 1 letter], by his City Arim[illegible: 1 letter]thea (there it seems [illegible: 1 letter]e was born▪ or had his Mansion-House, tho he resided in Ierusalem) by his Quality, both his more Exterior Quality, and his more interior Qualification. As for his outward Q[illegible: 1 letter]ality, Matthew saith, he was a Rich Man. Mark saith, He was an Hon [illegible: 1 letter]urab[illegible: 1 letter]e Counce[illegible: 2 letters]or. Luke also c[illegible: 1 letter]lls him a Councel[illegible: 1 letter]our, but had not consented to the Cou[illegible: 1 letter]sel and deed of them. That is of them, who had examined and Condemned Christ, whether he was a Member of the Iewish Sanhedrim, or of Pilates Council (tho the [illegible: 1 word] be not probab[illegible: 1 letter]e) or had been a Councellour formerly, but now was not so▪ is hard to determine, but his Quality doubtle[illegible: 1 letter]s made his Access more free to P[illegible: 1 letter]late. He went in boldly to him (saith Mark) his Q[illegible: 1 letter]ality in the City, and his Love to Christ, both contributed to this boldness, for his more inward Qualifications. Matthew and Iohn both tell us he was a [illegible: 1 word], one that ha[illegible: 1 letter] learne[illegible: 1 letter] of Christ, tho Iohn tells us, it was secretly for fear of the Ie[illegible: 1 letter]s, Iohn 12.42.Among the C[illegible: 1 letter]ief Rulers, many believed on him. As b[illegible: 1 letter]d as that set of Rulers was, which now ruled the Jewish Affairs, (and a worse could not be) Christ had some Disciples among[illegible: 1 letter]t them (as well as afterward in Neroes Co[illegible: 1 letter]rt) these for fear of the Jews ca[illegible: 2 letters]ing them out of the Syna [illegible: 2 letters]gues, durst not openly own Christ, but secretly loved him. Ioseph and Nicodemus were two of them. And to let us know what the Disciples of Christ are, and should be; this Ioseph is described by Luke to be a good and a [illegible: 1 letter]ust Man, by Mark to be one who waited for the Kingdom of God. A believer▪ one who believing what Christ had said, both concerning his Kingdom of Grace, and Glory, lived in the Expectation of it. This Man b[illegible: 1 letter]ggeth of the Governour, the Body [illegible: 1 letter]f Christ. P[illegible: 2 letters]ate wondred t[illegible: 1 letter]at he should be so soon Dead, but inquiring of the Centurion, and hearing that he was Dead [illegible: 1 letter]he commands that his Body should be delivered unto Ios[illegible: 1 letter]ph. The manner of the Jews, was neither to have Gardens, nor Bury[illegible: 1 letter]ng places within the City, but without the Wall; it should appear that this Ioseph, had a Garden place without the City, and near to the Place where Christ was Crucified, and in that Garden, he had Cut out of some great Stone, a Sepulcher for himself (Matthew calls it his own New Tomb, which he had [illegible: 2 letters]ewed out of the Rock) the other Evangeli[illegible: 2 letters]s do not call it his own new Tomb, only Luke and Iohn observe it was a Sepulcher, in which none ever before was laid. So as when they found him Risen from the Dead, they could not say it was some other Body, for there was no other Body in the Tomb. But before they laid in the Body, both Matthew and Mark observe, that Ioseph wrapped it in Fine Linnen, and Iohn further addeth, that they Embalmed the Body, to which purpose it was that Nicodem[illegible: 1 letter]s (that Ruler who came to Jesus by Night, of which we have the Story, Iohn 3. with whom our Saviour had a Discourse about Regeneration) brought the mixture of Myrrh and Al[illegible: 1 letter]es, of about an hundred pound weight. Iohn adds▪ as it was the manner of the Iews to Bury, not ordinarily, but Persons of greater Note, whose Estates were such, as they could bear such an expence. This was the beginning ofhonour done unto Christ, after that he had passed through his lowest degree of Humiliation. Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, that is, the Wife of Cleopas, of whom we heard before, stayed to see where he was laid, and took their Seats over against the Sepulcher. Luke saith, C[illegible: 1 letter]. 23.55. The Women also w[illegible: 2 letters]ch came with him from Gali[illegible: 1 letter]ee followed af[illegible: 1 letter]er, and beheld the Sepulcher, and how his [illegible: 1 letter]ody was laid. And they returned, and prepared the Spices, and Ointment, and rested the Sabbath Day, according to the Commandement. It seems they sate but a little while (as Matthew saith) right over against the Sepulcher, but went home, and prepared Spices, and Oin[illegible: 1 letter]ment to Imbalm him, but would not do it on the Sabbath, which was now beginning, thinking that it would be time enough upon the first Day of the Week▪ Matthew saith, that Ios[illegible: 1 letter]ph Rolled a great Stone to the Door of the Sepulcher, and departed.

66 So they went, and made the sepulcher sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch,

This part of the History, is recorded by no other Evangelist, the recording it by Matthew, contributeth yet further to Evidence the Truth of Christs Resurrection. For here was all imaginable care taken to prevent a Cheat in the Case. The next day that followed the Day of the Preparation must be the Sabbath Day, Mark 15.42. These Superstitious Hypocrites, that quarrelled with our Saviour, for his Disciples (being hungry) plucking Ears of Corn on the Sabbath Day, and for his healing him that had a Withered Hand, Chap. 12.13. can now themselves go to Pilate, to set him on Work, to command that the Sepulcher should be made fast to the third Day. They alledge that Christ, whom they impiously call that Deceiver, said, while he was alive, that he would rise again the third Day. to answer the Type of the Prophet Ionas, Chap. 12.39, 40. They were doubtless jealous that there was more Truth in those Words, then they were willing to believe. They pretend also a fear, lest his Disciples should come privately by Night, and steal his Body away, and then say he was risen. But was this a probable thing? that a Government should be afraid of a few, poor unarmed Men? they were doubtless convicted in their own Consciences, that he would rise again from the Dead, and to prevent his coming out of the Sepulcher, they would have Pilate Command, that the Sepulcher should be made sure. Pilate tells them, that they had a Watch, a Band of Souldiers, which he had commanded at this time to attend them, either for the Guard of the Temple, or other things, about which they would imploy them, they might make the Sepulcher as sure as they could So they went, and made the Sepulcher sure, sealing the Stone, and setting a Watch. Vain Men! as if the same Power that was necessary to raise and quicken the Dead, could not also remove the Stone, and break through the Watch, which, they had set. But by this their Excessive Care, and Diligence, instead of preventing Christs Resurrection, as they intended they have confirmed the Truth, and Belief of it to all the World. So doth God take the wise in their own Craftiness, and turn their Wisdom into Foolishness, that he may set his King upon his Holy Hill of Zion.

The Repentance of Judas; The Confession of Judas; The Death of Judas; Disposal of the Thirty Pieces of Silver.

1 When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death: 2 And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor. 3 Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, 4 Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. 5 And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself. 6 And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood. 7 And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in. 8 Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day. 9 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value; 10 And gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord appointed me.

We left Christ in the hands of the chief priests and elders, condemned to die, but they could only show their teeth; about two years before this the Romans had taken from the Jews the power of capital punishment; they could put no man to death, and therefore early in the morning another council is held, to consider what is to be done. And here we are told what was done in that morning-council, after they had been for two or three hours consulting with their pillows.

I. Christ is delivered up to Pilate, that he might execute the sentence they had passed upon him. Judea having been almost one hundred years before this conquered by Pompey, had ever since been tributary to Rome, and was lately made part of the province of Syria, and subject to the government of the president of Syria, under whom there were several procurators, who chiefly attended the business of the revenues, but sometimes, as Pilate particularly, had the whole power of the president lodged in them. This was a plain evidence that the sceptre was departed from Judah, and that therefore now the Shiloh must come, according to Jacob's prophecy, Gen. xlix. 10. Pilate is characterized by the Roman writers of that time, as a man of a rough and haughty spirit, wilful and implacable, and extremely covetous and oppressive; the Jews had a great enmity to his person, and were weary of his government, and yet they made use of him as the tool of their malice against Christ.

1. They bound Jesus. He was bound when he was first seized; but either they took off these bonds when he was before the council, or now they added to them. Having found him guilty, they tied his hands behind him, as they usually do with convicted criminals. He was already bound with the bonds of love to man, and of his own undertaking, else he had soon broken these bonds, as Samson did his. We were fettered with the bond of iniquity, held in the cords of our sins (Prov. x. 22); but God had bound the yoke of our transgressions upon the neck of the Lord Jesus (Isa. l. 14), that we might be loosed by his bonds, as we are healed by his stripes.

2. They led him away in a sort of triumph, led him as a lamb to the slaughter; so was he taken from prison and from judgment, Isa. liii. 7, 8. It was nearly a mile from Caiaphas's house to Pilate's. All that way they led him through the streets of Jerusalem, when in the morning they began to fill, to make him a spectacle to the world.

3. They delivered him to Pontius Pilate; according to that which Christ had often said, that he should be delivered to the Gentiles. Both Jews and Gentiles were obnoxious to the judgment of God, and concluded under sin, and Christ was to be the Saviour both of Jews and Gentiles; and therefore Christ was brought into the judgment both of Jews and Gentiles, and both had a hand in his death. See how these corrupt church-rulers abused the civil magistrate, making use of him to execute their unrighteous decrees, and inflict the grievance which they had prescribed, Isa. x. 1. Thus have the kings of the earth been wretchedly imposed upon by the papal powers, and condemned to the drudgery of extirpating with the sword of war, as well as that of justice, those whom they have marked for heretics, right or wrong, to the great prejudice of their own interests.

II. The money which they had paid to Judas for betraying Christ, is by him delivered back to them, and Judas, in despair, hangs himself. The chief priests and elders supported themselves with this, in prosecuting Christ, that his own disciple betrayed him to them; but now, in the midst of the prosecution, that string failed them, and even he is made to them a witness of Christ's innocency and a monument of God's justice; which served, 1. For glory to Christ in the midst of his sufferings, and a specimen of his victory over Satan who had entered into Judas. 2. For warning to his persecutors, and to leave them the more inexcusable. If their heart had not been fully set in them to do this evil, what Judas said and did, one would think, should have stopped the prosecution.

(1.) See here how Judas repented: not like Peter, who repented, believed, and was pardoned: no, he repented, despaired, and was ruined. Now observe here,

[1.] What induced him to repent. It was when he saw that he was condemned. Judas, it is probable, expected that either Christ would have made his escape out of their hands, or would so have pleaded his own cause at their bar as to have come off, and then Christ would have had the honour, the Jews the shame, and he the money, and no harm done. This he had no reason to expect, because he had so often heard his Master say that he must be crucified; yet it is probable that he did expect it, and when the event did not answer his vain fancy, then he fell into this horror, when he saw the stream strong against Christ, and him yielding to it. Note, Those who measure actions by the consequences of them rather than by the divine law, will find themselves mistaken in their measures. The way of sin is down-hill; and if we cannot easily stop ourselves, much less can we stop others whom we have set a going in a sinful way. He repented himself; that is, he was filled with grief, anguish, and indignation, at himself, when reflecting upon what he had done. When he was tempted to betray his Master, the thirty pieces of silver looked very fine and glittering, like the wine, when it is red, and gives its colour in the cup. But when the thing was done, and the money paid, the silver was become dross, it bit like a serpent, and stung like an adder. Now his conscience flew in his face; "What have I done! What a fool, what a wretch, am I, to sell my Master, and all my comfort and happiness in him, for such a trifle! All these abuses and indignities done him are chargeable upon me; it is owing to me, that he is bound and condemned, spit upon and buffeted. I little thought it would have come to this, when I made that wicked bargain; so foolish was I, and ignorant, and so like a beast." Now he curses the bag he carried, the money he coveted, the priests he dealt with, and the day that he was born. The remembrance of his Master's goodness to him, which he had so basely requited, the bowels of mercy he had spurned at, and the fair warnings he had slighted, steeled his convictions, and made them the more piercing. Now he found his Master's words true; It were better for that man, that he had never been born. Note, Sin will soon change its taste. Though it be rolled under the tongue as a sweet morsel, in the bowels it will be turned into the gall of asps (Job xx. 12-14), like John's book, Rev. x. 9.

[2.] What were the indications of his repentance.

First, He made restitution; He brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests, when they were all together publicly. Now the money burned in his conscience, and he was as sick of it as ever he had been fond of it. Note, That which is ill gotten, will never do good to those that get it, Jer. xiii. 10; Job xx. 15. If he had repented, and brought the money back before he had betrayed Christ, he might have done it with comfort, then he had agreed while yet in the way; but now it was too late, now he cannot do it without horror, wishing ten thousand times he had never meddled with it. See Jam. v. 3. He brought it again. Note, what is unjustly gotten, must not be kept; for that is a continuance in the sin by which it was got, and such an avowing of it as is not consistent with repentance. He brought it to those from whom he had it, to let them know that he repented his bargain. Note, Those who have served and hardened others in their sin, when God gives them repentance, should let them know it whose sins they have been partakers in, that it may be a means to bring them to repentance.

Secondly, He made confession (v. 4); I have sinner, in that I have betrayed innocent blood. 1. To the honour of Christ, he pronounces his blood innocent. If he had been guilty of any sinful practices, Judas, as his disciple, would certainly have know it, and, as his betrayer, would certainly have discovered it; but he, freely and without being urged to it, pronounces him innocent, to the face of those who had pronounced him guilty. 2. To his own shame, he confesses that he had sinned, in betraying this blood. He does not lay the blame on any one else; does not say, "You have sinned, in hiring me to do it;" but takes it all to himself; "I have sinned, in doing it." Thus far Judas went toward his repentance, yet it was not to salvation. He confessed, but not to God, did not go to him, and say, I have sinned, Father, against heaven. He confessed the betraying of innocent blood, but did not confess that wicked love of money, which was the root of this evil. There are those who betray Christ, and yet justify themselves in it, and so come short of Judas.

(2.) See here how the chief priests and elders entertained Judas's penitential confession; they said, What is that to us? See thou to that. He made them his confessors, and that was the absolution they gave him; more like the priests of devils than like the priests of the holy living God.

[1.] See here how carelessly they speak of the betraying of Christ. Judas had told them that the blood of Christ was innocent blood; and they said, What is that to us? Was it nothing to them that they had thirsted after this blood, and hired Judas to betray it, and had now condemned it to be shed unjustly? Is this nothing to them? Does it give no check to the violence of their prosecution, no warning to take need what they do to this just man? Thus do fools make a mock at sin, as if no harm were done, no hazard run, by the commission of the greatest wickedness. Thus light do many make of Christ crucified; what is it to them, that he suffered such things?

[2.] See here how carelessly they speak of the sin of Judas; he said, I have sinned, and they said, "What is that to us? What are we concerned in thy sin, that thou tellest us of it?" Note, It is folly for us to think that the sins of others are nothing to us, especially those sins that we are any way accessary to, or partakers in. Is it nothing to us, that God is dishonoured, souls wounded, Satan gratified and his interests served, and that we have aided and abetted it? If the elders of Jezreel, to please Jezebel, murder Naboth, is that nothing to Ahab? Yes, he has killed, for he has taken possession, 1 Kings xxi. 19. The guilt of sin is not so easily transferred as some people think it is. If there were guilt in the matter, they tell Judas that he must look to it, he must bear it. First, Because he had betrayed him to them. His was indeed the greater sin (John xix. 11); but it did not therefore follow, that theirs was no sin. It is a common instance of the deceitfulness of our hearts, to extenuate our own sin by the aggravation of other people's sins. But the judgment of God is according to truth, not according to comparison. Secondly, Because he knew and believed him to be innocent. "If he be innocent, see thou to it, that is more than we know; we have adjudged him guilty, and therefore may justly prosecute him as such," Wicked practices are buoyed up by wicked principles, and particularly by this, That sin is sin only to those that think it to be so; that it is no harm to persecute a good man, if we take him to be a bad man; but those who thus think to mock God, will but deceive and destroy themselves.

[3.] See how carelessly they speak of the conviction, terror, and remorse, that Judas was under. They were glad to make use of him in the sin, and were then very fond of him; none more welcome to them than Judas, when he said, What will ye give me, and I will betray him to you? They did not say, What is that to us? But now that his sin had put him into a fright, now they slighted him, had nothing to say to him, but turned him over to his own terrors; why did he come to trouble them with his melancholy fancies? They had something else to do than to heed him. But why so shy? First, Perhaps they were in some fear lest the sparks of his conviction, brought too near, should kindle a fire in their own consciences, and lest his moans, listened to, should give an alarm to their own convictions. Note, Obstinate sinners stand upon their guard against convictions; and those that are resolvedly impenitent, look with disdain upon the penitent. Secondly, However, they were in no concern to succour Judas; when they had brought him into the snare, they not only left him, but laughed at him. Note, Sinners, under convictions, will find their old companions in sin but miserable comforters. It is usual for those that love the treason, to hate the traitor.

(3.) Here is the utter despair that Judas was hereby driven into. If the chief priests had promised him to stay the prosecution, it would have been some comfort to him; but, seeing no hopes of that, he grew desperate, v. 5.

[1.] He cast down the pieces of silver in the temple. The chief priests would not take the money, for fear of taking thereby the whole guilt to themselves, which they were willing that Judas should bear the load of; Judas would not keep it, it was too hot for him to hold, he therefore threw it down in the temple, that, whether they would or no, it might fall into the hands of the chief priests. See what a drug money was, when the guilt of sin was tacked to it, or was thought to be so.

[2.] He went, and hanged himself. First, He retired—anechorese; he withdrew into some solitary place, like the possessed man that was drawn by the devil into the wilderness, Luke viii. 29. Woe to him that is in despair, and is alone. If Judas had gone to Christ, or to some of the disciples, perhaps he might have had relief, bad as the case was; but, missing of it with the chief priests, he abandoned himself to despair: and the same devil that with the help of the priests drew him to the sin, with their help drove him to despair. Secondly, He became his own executioner; He hanged himself; he was suffocated with grief, so Dr. Hammond: but Dr. Whitby is clear that our translation is right. Judas had a sight and sense of sin, but no apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ, and so he pined away in his iniquity. His sin, we may suppose, was not in its own nature unpardonable: there were some of those saved, that had been Christ's betrayers and murderers; but he concluded, as Cain, that his iniquity was greater than could be forgiven, and would rather throw himself on the devil's mercy than God's. And some have said, that Judas sinned more in despairing of the mercy of God, than in betraying his Master's blood. Now the terrors of the Almighty set themselves in array against him. All the curses written in God's book now came into his bowels like water, and like oil into his bones, as was foretold concerning him (Ps. cix. 18, 19), and drove him to this desperate shift, for the escaping of a hell within him, to leap into that before him, which was but the perfection and perpetuity of this horror and despair. He throws himself into the fire, to avoid the flame; but miserable is the case when a man must go to hell for ease.

Now, in this story, 1. We have an instance of the wretched end of those into whom Satan enters, and particularly those that are given up to the love of money. This is the destruction in which many are drowned by it, 1 Tim. vi. 9, 10. Remember what became of the swine into which, and of the traitor into whom, the devil enters; and give not place to the devil. 2. We have an instance of the wrath of God revealed from heaven against the ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, Rom. i. 18. As in the story of Peter we behold the goodness of God, and the triumphs of Christ's grace in the conversion of some sinners; so in the story of Judas we behold the severity of God, and the triumphs of Christ's power and justice in the confusion of other sinners. When Judas, into whom Satan entered, was thus hung up, Christ made an open show of the principalities and powers he undertook the spoiling of, Col. ii. 15. 3. We have an instance of the direful effects of despair; it often ends in self-murder. Sorrow, even that for sin, if not according to God, worketh death (2 Cor. vii. 10), the worst kind of death; for a wounded spirit, who can bear? Let us think as bad as we can of sin, provided we do not think it unpardonable; let us despair of help in ourselves, but not of help in God. He that thinks to ease his conscience by destroying his life, doth, in effect, dare God Almighty to do his worst. And self-murder, though prescribed by some of the heathen moralists, is certainly a remedy worse than the disease, how bad soever the disease may be. Let us watch against the beginnings of melancholy, and pray, Lord, lead us not into temptation.

(4.) The disposal of the money which Judas brought back, v. 6-10. It was laid out in the purchase of a field, called the potter's field; because some potter had owned it, or occupied it, or lived near it, or because broken potters' vessels were thrown into it. And this field was to be a burying-place for strangers, that is, proselytes to the Jewish religion, who were of other nations, and, coming to Jerusalem to worship, happened to die there. [1.] It looks like an instance of their humanity, that they took care for the burying of strangers; and it intimates that they themselves allowed (as St. Paul saith, Acts xxiv. 15), that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and of the unjust; for we therefore take care of the dead body, not only because it has been the habitation of a rational soul, but because it must be so again. But, [2.] It was no instance of their humility that they would bury strangers in a place by themselves, as if they were not worthy to be laid in their burying-places; strangers must keep their distance, alive and dead, and that principle must go down to the grace, Stand by thyself, come not near me, I am holier than thou, Isa. lxv. 5. The sons of Seth were better affected towards Abraham, though a stranger among them, when they offered him the choicest of their own sepulchres, Gen. xxiii. 6. But the sons of the stranger, that have joined themselves to the Lord, though buried by themselves, shall rise with all that are dead in Christ.

This buying of the potter's field did not take place on the day that Christ died (they were then too busy to mind any thing else but hunting him down); but it took place not long after; for Peter speaks of it soon after Christ's ascension; yet it is here recorded.

First, To show the hypocrisy of the chief priests and elders. They were maliciously persecuting the blessed Jesus, and now,

1. They scruple to put that money into the treasury, or corban, of the temple, with which they had hired the traitor. Though perhaps they had taken it out of the treasury, pretending it was for the public good, and though they were great sticklers for the corban, and laboured to draw all the wealth of the nation into it, yet they would not put that money into it, which was the price of blood. The hire of a traitor they thought parallel to the hire of a whore, and the price of a malefactor (such a one they made Christ to be) equivalent to the price of a dog, neither of which was to be brought into the house of the Lord, Deut. xxiii. 18. They would thus save their credit with the people, by possessing them with an opinion of their great reverence for the temple. Thus they that swallowed a camel, strained at a gnat.

2. They think to atone for what they had done, by this public good act of providing a burying-place for strangers, though not at their own charge. Thus in times of ignorance people were made to believe that building churches and endowing monasteries would make amends for immoralities.

Secondly, To signify the favour intended by the blood of Christ to strangers, and sinners of the Gentiles. Through the price of his blood, a resting place is provided for them after death. Thus many of the ancients apply this passage. The grave is the potter's field, where the bodies are thrown as despised broken vessels; but Christ by his blood purchased it for those who by confessing themselves strangers on earth seek the better country; he has altered the property of it (as a purchaser doth), so that now death is ours, the grave is ours, a bed of rest for us. The Germans, in their language, call burying-places God's fields; for in them God sows his people as a corn of wheat, John xii. 24. See Hos. ii. 23; Isa. xxvi. 19.

Thirdly, To perpetuate the infamy of those that bought and sold the blood of Christ. This field was commonly called Aceldama—the field of blood; not by the chief priests, they hoped in this burying-place to bury the remembrance of their own crime; but by the people; who took notice of Judas's acknowledgment that he had betrayed the innocent blood, though the chief priests made nothing of it. They fastened this name upon the field in perpetuam rei memoriam—for a perpetual memorial. Note, Divine Providence has many ways of entailing disgrace upon the wicked practices even of great men, who, though they seek to cover their shame, are put to a perpetual reproach.

Fourthly, That we may see how the scripture was fulfilled (v. 9, 10); Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet. The words quoted are found in the prophecy of Zechariah, ch. xi. 12. How they are here said to be spoken by Jeremy is a difficult question; but the credit of Christ's doctrine does not depend upon it; for that proves itself perfectly divine, though there should appear something human as to small circumstances in the penmen of it. The Syriac version, which is ancient, reads only, It was spoken by the prophet, not naming any, whence some have thought that Jeremy was added by some scribe; some think that the whole volume of the prophets, being in one book, and the prophecy of Jeremiah put first, it might not be improper, currente calamo—for a transcriber to quote any passage out of that volume, under his name. The Jews used to say, The spirit of Jeremiah was in Zechariah, and so they were as one prophet. Some suggest that it was spoken by Jeremiah, but written by Zechariah; or that Jeremiah wrote the ninth, tenth, and eleventh chapters of Zechariah. Now this passage in the prophet is a representation of the great contempt of God, that was found among the Jews, and the poor returns they made to him for rich receivings from him. But here that is really acted, which was there but figuratively expressed. The sum of money is the same—thirty pieces of silver; this they weighed for his price, at this rate they valued him; a goodly price; and this was cast to the potter in the house of the Lord; which was here literally accomplished. Note, We should better understand the events of Providence, if we were better acquainted even with the language and expressions of scripture; for even those also are sometimes written upon the dispensations of Providence so plainly, that he who runs may read them. What David spoke figuratively (Ps. xlii. 7), Jonah made a literal application of; All thy waves and thy billows are gone over me, Jonah iii. 3.

The giving of the price of him that was valued, not for him, but for the potter's field, bespeaks, 1. The high value that ought to be put upon Christ. The price was given, not for him; no, when it was given for him, it was soon brought back again with disdain, as infinitely below his worth; he cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, nor this unspeakable Gift brought with money. 2. The low value that was put upon him. They of the children of Israel did strangely undervalue him, when his price did but reach to buy a potter's field, a pitiful sorry spot of ground, not worth looking upon. It added to the reproach of his being bought and sold, that it was at so low a rate. Cast it to the potter, so it is in Zechariah; a contemptible petty chapman, not the merchant that deals in things of value. And observe, They of the children of Israel thus undervalued him; they who were his own people, that should have known better what estimate to put upon him, they to whom he was first sent, whose glory he was, and whom he had valued so highly, and bought so dear. He gave kings' ransoms for them, and the richest countries (so precious were they in his sight, Isa. xliii. 3, 4), Egypt, and Ethiopia, and Seba; but they gave a slave's ransom for him (see Exod. xxi. 32), and valued him but at the rate of a potter's field; so was that blood trodden under foot, which bought the kingdom of heaven for us. But all this was as the Lord appointed; so the prophetic vision was, which typified this event, and so the event itself, as the other instances of Christ's sufferings, was by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God.

Christ at the Bar of Pilate.

11 And Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest. 12 And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing. 13 Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee? 14 And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly. 15 Now at that feast the governor was wont to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would. 16 And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas. 17 Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ? 18 For he knew that for envy they had delivered him. 19 When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him. 20 But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. 21 The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas. 22 Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified. 23 And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified. 24 When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. 25 Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.

We have here an account of what passed in Pilate's judgment-hall, when the blessed Jesus was brought thither betimes in the morning. Though it was no court-day, Pilate immediately took his case before him. We have there,

I. The trial Christ had before Pilate.

1. His arraignment; Jesus stood before the governor, as the prisoner before the judge. We could not stand before God because of our sins, nor lift up our face in his presence, if Christ had not been thus made sin for us. He was arraigned that we might be discharged. Some think that this bespeaks his courage and boldness; he stood undaunted, unmoved by all their rage. He thus stood in this judgment, that we might stand in God's judgment. He stood for a spectacle, as Naboth, when he was arraigned, was set on high among the people.

2. His indictment; Art thou the king of the Jews? The Jews were now not only under the government, but under the very jealous inspection, of the Roman powers, which they were themselves to the highest degree disaffected to, and yet now pretended a concern for, to serve this turn; accusing Jesus as an Enemy to Cæsar (Luke xxiii. 2), which they could produce no other proof of, than that he himself had newly owned he was the Christ. Now they thought that whoever was the Christ, must be the king of the Jews, and must deliver them from the Roman power, and restore to them a temporal dominion, and enable them to trample upon all their neighbours. According to this chimera of their own, they accused our Lord Jesus, as making himself king of the Jews, in opposition to the Roman yoke; whereas, though he said that he was the Christ, he meant not such a Christ as this. Note, Many oppose Christ's holy religion, upon a mistake of the nature of it; they dress it up in false colours, and then fight against it. They assuring the governor that, if he made himself Christ, he made himself king of the Jews, the governor takes it for granted, that he goes about to pervert the nation, and subvert the government. Art thou a king? It was plain that he was not so de facto—actually; "But dost thou lay any claim to the government, or pretend a right to rule the Jews?" Note, It has often been the hard fate of Christ's holy religion, unjustly to fall under the suspicions of the civil powers, as if it were hurtful to kings and provinces, whereas it tends mightily to the benefit of both.

3. His plea; Jesus said unto him, "Thou sayest. It is as thou sayest, though not as thou meanest; I am a king, but not such a king as thou dost suspect me to be." Thus before Pilate he witnessed a good confession, and was not ashamed to own himself a king, though it looked ridiculous, nor afraid, though at this time it was dangerous.

4. The evidence (v. 12); He was accused of the chief priests. Pilate found no fault in him; whatever was said, nothing was proved, and therefore what was wanting in matter they made up in noise and violence, and followed him with repeated accusations, the same as they had given in before; but by the repetition they thought to force a belief from the governor. They had learned, not only calumniari—to calumniate, but fortiter calumniari—to calumniate stoutly. The best men have often been accused of the worst crimes.

5. The prisoner's silence as to the prosecutors' accusations; He answered nothing, (1.) Because there was no occasion; nothing was alleged but what carried its own confutation along with it. (2.) He was now taken up with the great concern that lay between him and his Father, to whom he was offering up himself a Sacrifice, to answer the demands of his justice, which he was so intent upon, that he minded not what they said against him. (3.) His hour was come, and he submitted to his Father's will; Not as I will, but as thou wilt. He knew what his Father's will was, and therefore silently committed himself to him that judgeth righteously. We must not thus by our silence throw away our lives, because we are not lords of our lives, as Christ was of his; nor can we know, as he did, when our hour is come. But hence we must learn, not to render railing for railing, 1 Pet. ii. 23.

Now, [1.] Pilate pressed him to make some reply (v. 13); Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee? What these things were, may be gathered from Luke xxiii. 3, 5, and John xix. 7. Pilate, having no malice at all against him, was desirous he should clear himself, urges him to it, and believes he could do it; Hearest thou not? Yes, he did hear; and still he hears all that is witnessed unjustly against his truths and ways; but he keeps silence, because it is the day of his patience, and doth not answer, as he will shortly, Ps. l. 3. [2.] He wondered at his silence; which was not interpreted so much into a contempt of the court, as a contempt of himself. And therefore Pilate is not said to be angry at it, but to have marvelled greatly at it, as a thing very unusual. He believed him to be innocent, and had heard perhaps that never man spake like him; and therefore he thought it strange that he had not one word to say for himself. We have,

II. The outrage and violence of the people, in pressing the governor to crucify Christ. The chief priests had a great interest in the people, they called them Rabbi, Rabbi, made idols of them, and oracles of all they said; and they made use of this to incense them against him, and by the power of the mob gained the point which they could not otherwise carry. Now here are two instances of their outrage.

1. Their preferring Barabbas before him, and choosing to have him released rather than Jesus.

(1.) It seems it was grown into a custom with the Roman governors, for the honouring of the Jews, to grace the feast of the passover with the release of a prisoner, v. 15. This, they thought, did honour to the feast, and was agreeable to the commemoration of their deliverance; but it was an invention of their own, and no divine institution; though some think that it was ancient, and kept up by the Jewish princes, before they became a province of the empire. However, it was a bad custom, an obstruction to justice, and an encouragement to wickedness. But our gospel-passover is celebrated with the release of prisoners, by him who hath power on earth to forgive sins.

(2.) The prisoner put in competition with our Lord Jesus was Barabbas; he is here called a notable prisoner (v. 16); either because by birth and breeding he was of some note and quality, or because he had signalized himself by something remarkable in his crimes; whether he was so notable as to recommend himself the more to the favours of the people, and so the more likely to be interceded for, or whether so notable as to make himself more liable to their age, is uncertain. Some think the latter, and therefore Pilate mentioned him, as taking it for granted that they would have desired any one's release rather than his. Treason, murder, and felony, are the three most enormous crimes that are usually punished by the sword of justice; and Barabbas was guilty of all three, Luke xxiii. 19; John xviii. 40. A notable prisoner indeed, whose crimes were so complicated.

(3.) The proposal was made by Pilate the governor (v. 17); Whom will ye that I release unto you? It is probable that the judge had the nomination of two, one of which the people were to choose. Pilate proposed to them to have Jesus released; he was convinced of his innocency, and that the prosecution was malicious; yet had not the courage to acquit him, as he ought to have done, by his own power, but would have him released by the people's election, and so he hoped to satisfy both his own conscience, and the people too; whereas, finding no fault in him, he ought not to have put him upon the country, or brought him into peril of his life. But such little tricks and artifices as these, to trim the matter, and to keep in with conscience and the world too, are the common practice of those that seek more to please men than God. What shall I do then, saith Pilate, with Jesus, who is called Christ? He puts the people in mind of this, that this Jesus, whose release he proposed, was looked upon by some among them as the Messiah, and had given pregnant proofs of his being so; "Do not reject one of whom your nation has professed such an expectation."

The reason why Pilate laboured thus to get Jesus discharged was because he knew that for envy the chief priests had delivered him up (v. 18); that it was not his guilt, but his goodness, that they were provoked at; and for this reason he hoped to bring him off by the people's act, and that they would be for his release. When David was envied by Saul, he was the darling of the people; and any one that heard the hosannas with which Christ was but a few days ago brought into Jerusalem, would have thought that he had been so, and that Pilate might safely have referred this matter to the commonalty, especially when so notorious a rogue was set up as a rival with him for their favours. But it proved otherwise.

(4.) While Pilate was thus labouring the matter, he was confirmed in his unwillingness to condemn Jesus, by a message sent him from his wife (v. 19), by way of caution; Have thou nothing to do with that just man (together with the reason), for I have suffered many things this day in a cream because of him. Probably, this message was delivered to Pilate publicly, in the hearing of all that were present, for it was intended to be a warning not to him only, but to the prosecutors. Observe,

[1.] The special providence of God, in sending this dream to Pilate's wife; it is not likely that she had heard any thing, before, concerning Christ, at least not so as to occasion her dreaming of him, but it was immediately from God: perhaps she was one of the devout and honourable women, and had some sense of religion; yet God revealed himself by dreams to some that had not, as to Nebuchadnezzar. She suffered many things in this dream; whether she dreamed of the cruel usage of an innocent person, or of the judgments that would fall upon those that had any hand in his death, or both, it seems that it was a frightful dream, and her thoughts troubled her, as Dan. ii. 1; iv. 5. Note, The Father of spirits has many ways of access to the spirits of men, and can seal their instruction in a dream, or vision of the night, Job xxxiii. 15, 16. Yet to those who have the written word, God more ordinarily speaks by conscience on a waking bed, than by dreams, when deep sleep falls upon men.

[2.] The tenderness and care of Pilate's wife, in sending this caution, thereupon, to her husband; Have nothing to do with that just man. First, This was an honourable testimony to our Lord Jesus, witnessing for him that he was a just man, even then when he was persecuted as the worst of malefactors: when his friends were afraid to appear in defence of him, God made even those that were strangers and enemies, to speak in his favour; when Peter denied him, Judas confessed him; when the chief priests pronounced him guilty of death, Pilate declared he found no fault in him; when the women that loved him stood afar off, Pilate's wife, who knew little of him, showed a concern for him. Note, God will not leave himself without witnesses to the truth and equity of his cause, even when it seems to be most spitefully run down by its enemies, and most shamefully deserted by its friends. Secondly, It was a fair warning to Pilate; Have nothing to do with him. Note, God has many ways of giving checks to sinners in their sinful pursuits, and it is a great mercy to have such checks from Providence, from faithful friends, and from our own consciences; it is also our great duty to hearken to them. O do not this abominable thing which the Lord hates, is what we may hear said to us, when we are entering into temptation, if we will but regard it. Pilate's lady sent him this warning, out of the love she had to him; she feared not a rebuke from him for meddling with that which belonged not to her; but, let him take it how he would, she would give him the caution. Note, It is an instance of true love to our friends and relations, to do what we can to keep them from sin; and the nearer any are to us, and the greater affection we have for them, the more solicitous we should be not to suffer sin to come or lie upon them, Lev. xix. 17. The best friendship is friendship to the soul. We are not told how Pilate turned this off, probably with a jest; but by his proceeding against the just man it appears that he did not regard it. Thus faithful admonitions are made light of, when they are given as warnings against sin, but will not be so easily made light of, when they shall be reflected upon as aggravations of sin.

(5.) The chief priests and the elders were busy, all this while, to influence the people in favour of Barabbas, v. 20. They persuaded the multitude, both by themselves and their emissaries, whom they sent abroad among them, that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus; suggesting that this Jesus was a deceiver, in league with Satan, an enemy to their church and temple; that, if he were let alone, the Romans would come, and take away their place and nation; that Barabbas, though a bad man, yet, having not the interest that Jesus had, could not do so much mischief. Thus they managed the mob, who otherwise were well affected to Jesus, and, if they had not been so much at the beck of their priests, would never have done such a preposterous thing as to prefer Barabbas before Jesus. Here, [1.] We cannot but look upon these wicked priests with indignation; by the law, in matters of controversy between blood and blood, the people were to be guided by the priests, and to do as they informed them, Deut. xvii. 8, 9. This great power put into their hands they wretchedly abused, and the leaders of the people caused them to err. [2.] We cannot but look upon the deluded people with pity; I have compassion on the multitude, to see them hurried thus violently to so great wickedness, to see them thus priest-ridden, and falling in the ditch with their blind leaders.

(6.) Being thus over-ruled by the priests, at length they made their choice, v. 21. Whether of the twain (saith Pilate) will ye that I release unto you? He hoped that he had gained his point, to have Jesus released. But, to his great surprise, they said Barabbas; as if his crimes were less, and therefore he less deserved to die; or as if his merits were greater, and therefore he better deserved to live. The cry for Barabbas was so universal, one and all, that there was no colour to demand a poll between the candidates. Be astonished, O heavens, at this, and, thou earth, be horribly afraid! Were ever men that pretended to reason or religion, guilty of such prodigious madness, such horrid wickedness! This was it that Peter charged so home upon them (Acts iii. 14); Ye desired a murderer to be granted to you; yet multitudes who choose the world, rather than God, for their ruler and portion, thus choose their own delusions.

2. Their pressing earnestly to have Jesus crucified, v. 22, 23. Pilate, being amazed at their choice of Barabbas, was willing to hope that it was rather from a fondness for him than from an enmity to Jesus; and therefore he puts it to them, "What shall I do then with Jesus? Shall I release him likewise, for the greater honour of your feast, or will you leave it to me?" No, they all said, Let him be crucified. That death they desired he might die, because it was looked upon as the most scandalous and ignominious; and they hoped thereby to make his followers ashamed to own him, and their relation to him. It was absurd for them to prescribe to the judge what sentence he should pass; but their malice and rage made them forget all rules of order and decency, and turned a court of justice into a riotous, tumultuous, and seditious assembly. Now was truth fallen in the street, and equity could not enter; where one looked for judgment, behold, oppression, the worst kind of oppression; for righteousness, behold, a cry, the worse cry that ever was, Crucify, crucify the Lord of glory. Though they that cried thus, perhaps, were not the same persons that the other day cried Hosanna, yet see what a change was made upon the mind of the populace in a little time: when he rode in triumph into Jerusalem, so general were the acclamations of praise, that one would have thought he had no enemies; but now when he was led in triumph to Pilate's judgment-seat, so general were the outcries of enmity, that one would think he had no friends. Such revolutions are there in this changeable world, through which our way to heaven lies, as our Master's did, by honour and dishonour, by evil report, and good report, counter-changed (2 Cor. vi. 8); that we may not be lifted up by honour, as if, when we were applauded and caressed, we had made our nest among the stars, and should die in that nest; nor yet be dejected or discouraged by dishonour, as if, when we were trodden to the lowest hell, from which there is no redemption. Bides tu istos qui te laudant; omnes aut sunt hostes, aut (quod in æquo est) esse possunt—You observe those who applaud you; either they are all your enemies, or, which is equivalent, they may become so. Seneca de Vita Beat.

Now, as to this demand, we are further told,

(1.) How Pilate objected against it; Why, what evil hath he done? A proper question to ask before we censure any in common discourse, much more for a judge to ask before he pass a sentence of death. Note, It is much for the honour of the Lord Jesus, that, though he suffered as an evil-doer, yet neither his judge nor his prosecutors could find that he had done any evil. Had he done any evil against God? No, he always did those things that pleased him. Had he done any evil against the civil government? No, as he did himself, so he taught others, to render to Cæsar the things that were Cæsar's. Had he done any evil against the public peace? No, he did not strive or cry, nor did his kingdom come with observation. Had he done any evil to particular persons? Whose ox had he taken, or whom had he defrauded? No, so far from that, that he went about doing good. This repeated assertion of his unspotted innocency, plainly intimates that he died to satisfy for the sins of others; for if it had not been for our transgressions that he was thus wounded, and for our offences that he was delivered up, and that upon his own voluntary undertaking to atone for them, I see not how these extraordinary sufferings of a person that had never thought, said, or done, any thing amiss, could be reconciled with the justice and equity of that providence that governs the world, and at least permitted this to be done in it.

(2.) How they insisted upon it; They cried out the more, Let him be crucified. They do not go about to show any evil he had done, but, right or wrong, he must be crucified. Quitting all pretensions to the proof of the premises, they resolve to hold the conclusion, and what was wanting in evidence to make up in clamour; this unjust judge was wearied by importunity into an unjust sentence, as he in the parable into a just one (Luke xviii. 4, 5), and the cause carried purely by noise.

III. Here is the devolving of the guilt of Christ's blood upon the people and priests.

1. Pilate endeavours to transfer it from himself, v. 24.

(1.) He sees it to no purpose to contend. What he said, [1.] Would do no good; he could prevail nothing; he could not convince them what an unjust unreasonable thing it was for him to condemn a man whom he believed innocent, and whom they could not prove guilty. See how strong the stream of lust and rage sometimes is; neither authority nor reason will prevail to give check to it. Nay, [2.] It was more likely to do hurt; he saw that rather a tumult was made. This rude and brutish people fell to high words, and began to threaten Pilate what they would do if he did not gratify them; and how great a matter might this fire kindle, especially when the priests, those great incendiaries, blew the coals! Now this turbulent tumultuous temper of the Jews, by which Pilate was awed to condemn Christ against his conscience, contributed more than any thing to the ruin of that nation not long after; for their frequent insurrections provoked the Romans to destroy them, though they had reduced them, and their inveterate quarrels among themselves made them an easy prey to the common enemy. Thus their sin was their ruin.

Observe how easily we may be mistaken in the inclination of the common people; the priests were apprehensive that their endeavours to seize Christ would have caused an uproar, especially on the feast day; but it proved that Pilate's endeavour to save him, caused an uproar, and that on the feast day; so uncertain are the sentiments of the crowd.

(2.) This puts him into a great strait, betwixt the peace of his own mind, and the peace of the city; he is loth to condemn an innocent man, and yet loth to disoblige the people, and raise a devil that would not be soon laid. Had he steadily and resolutely adhered to the sacred laws of justice, as a judge ought to do, he had not been in any perplexity; the matter was plain and past dispute, that a man in whom was found no faulty, ought not to be crucified, upon any pretence whatsoever, nor must an unjust thing be done, to gratify any man or company of men in the world; the cause is soon decided; Let justice be done, though heaven and earth come together—Fiat justitia, ruat cœlum. If wickedness proceed from the wicked, though they be priests, yet my hand shall not be upon him.

(3.) Pilate thinks to trim the matter, and to pacify both the people and his own conscience too, by doing it, and yet disowning it, acting the thing, and yet acquitting himself from it at the same time. Such absurdities and self-contradictions do they run upon, whose convictions are strong, but their corruptions stronger. Happy is he (saith the apostle, Rom. xiv. 22) that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth; or, which is all one, that allows not himself in that thing which he condemns.

Now Pilate endeavours to clear himself from the guilt,

[1.] By a sign; He took water, and washed his hands before the multitude; not as if he thought thereby to cleanse himself from any guilt contracted before God, but to acquit himself before the people, from so much as contracting any guilt in this matter; as if he had said, "If it be done, bear witness that it is none of my doing." He borrowed the ceremony from that law which appointed it to be used for the clearing of the country from the guilt of an undiscovered murder (Deut. xxi. 6, 7); and he used it the more to affect the people with the conviction he was under of the prisoner's innocency; and, probably, such was the noise of the rabble, that, if he had not used some such surprising sign, in the view of them all, he could not have been heard.

[2.] By a saying; in which, First, He clears himself; I am innocent of the blood of this just person. What nonsense was this, to condemn him, and yet protest that he was innocent of his blood! For men to protest against a thing, and yet to practise it, is only to proclaim that they sin against their consciences. Though Pilate professed his innocency, God charges him with guilt, Acts iv. 27. Some think to justify themselves, by pleading that their hands were not in the sin; but David kills by the sword of the children of Ammon, and Ahab by the elders of Jezreel. Pilate here thinks to justify himself, by pleading that his heart was not in the action; but this is an averment which will never be admitted. Protestatio non valet contra factum—In vain does he protest against the deed which at the same time he perpetrates. Secondly, He casts it upon the priests and people; "See ye to it; if it must be done, I cannot help it, do you answer it before God and the world." Note, Sin is a brat that nobody is willing to own; and many deceive themselves with this, that they shall bear no blame if they can but find any to lay the blame upon; but it is not so easy a thing to transfer the guilt of sin as many think it is. The condition of him that is infected with the plague is not the less dangerous, either for his catching the infection from others, or his communicating the infection to others; we may be tempted to sin, but cannot be forced. The priests threw it upon Judas; See thou to it; and now Pilate throws it upon them; See ye to it; for with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you.

2. The priests and people consented to take the guilt upon themselves; they all said, "His blood be on us, and one our children; we are so well assured that there is neither sin nor danger in putting him to death, that we are willing to run the hazard of it;" as if the guilt would do no harm to them or theirs. They saw that it was the dread of guilt that made Pilate hesitate, and that he was getting over this difficulty by a fancy of transferring it; to prevent the return of his hesitation, and to confirm him in that fancy, they, in the heat of their rage, agreed to it, rather than lose the prey they had in their hands, and cried, His blood be upon us. Now,

(1.) By this they designed to indemnify Pilate, that is, to make him think himself indemnified, by becoming bound to divine justice, to save him harmless. But those that are themselves bankrupts and beggars will never be admitted security for others, nor taken as a bail for them. None could bear the sin of others, except him that had none of his own to answer for; it is a bold undertaking, and too big for any creature, to become bound for a sinner to Almighty God.

(2.) But they did really imprecate wrath and vengeance upon themselves and their posterity. What a desperate word was this, and how little did they think what as the direful import of it, or to what an abyss of misery it would bring them and theirs! Christ had lately told them, that upon them would come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from that of the righteous Abel; but as if that were too little, they here imprecate upon themselves the guilt of that blood which was more precious than all the rest, and the guilt of which would lie heavier. O the daring presumption of wilful sinners, that run upon God, upon his neck, and defy his justice! Job xv. 25, 26. Observe,

[1.] How cruel they were in their imprecation. They imprecated the punishment of this sin, not only upon themselves, but upon their children too, even those that were yet unborn, without so much as limiting the entail of the curse, as God himself had been pleased to limit it, to the third and fourth generation. It was madness to pull it upon themselves, but the height of barbarity to entail it on their posterity. Surely they were like the ostrich; they were hardened against their young ones, as though they were not theirs. What a dreadful conveyance was this of guilt and wrath to them and their heirs for ever, and this delivered by joint consent, nemine contradicents—unanimously, as their own act and deed; which certainly amounted to a forfeiture and defeasance of that ancient charter, I will be a God to thee, and to thy seed. Their entailing the curse of the Messiah's blood upon their nation, cut off the entail of the blessings of that blood from their families, that, according to another promise made to Abraham, in him all the families of the earth might be blessed. See what enemies wicked men are to their own children and families; those that damn their own souls, care not how many they take to hell with them.

[2.] How righteous God was, in his retribution according to this imprecation; they said, His blood be on us, and on our children; and God said Amen to it, so shall thy doom be; as they loved cursing, so it came upon them. The wretched remains of that abandoned people feel it to this day; from the time they imprecated this blood upon them, they were followed with one judgment after another, till they were quite laid waste, and made an astonishment, a hissing, and a byword; yet on some of them, and some of theirs, this blood came, not to condemn them, but to save them; divine mercy, upon their repenting and believing, cut off this entail, and then the promise was again to them, and to their children. God is better to us and ours than we are.

Christ Scourged and Derided; Christ Mocked by the Soldiers.

26 Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. 27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers. 28 And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. 29 And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! 30 And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head. 31 And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him. 32 And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross.

In these verses we have the preparatives for, and prefaces to, the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus. Here is,

I. The sentence passed, and the warrant signed for his execution; and this immediately, the same hour.

1. Barabbas was released, that notorious criminal: if he had not been put in competition with Christ for the favour of the people, it is probable that he had died for his crimes; but that proved the means of his escape; to intimate that Christ was condemned for this purpose, that sinners, even the chief of sinners, might be released; he was delivered up, that we might be delivered; whereas the common instance of divine Providence, is, that the wicked is a ransom for the righteous, and the transgressor for the upright, Prov. xxi. 18; xi. 18. In this unparalleled instance of divine grace, the upright is a ransom for the transgressors, the just for the unjust.

2. Jesus was scourged; this was an ignominious cruel punishment, especially as is was inflicted by the Romans, who were not under the moderation of the Jewish law, which forbade scourgings, above forty stripes; this punishment was most unreasonably inflicted on one that was sentenced to die: the rods were not to introduce the axes, but to supersede them. Thus the scripture was fulfilled, The ploughers ploughed upon my back (Ps. cxxix. 3), I gave my back to the smiters (Isa. l. 6), and, By his stripes we are healed, Isa. liii. 5. He was chastised with whips, that we might not be for ever chastised with scorpions.

3. He was then delivered to be crucified; though his chastisement was in order to our peace, yet there is no peace made but by the blood of his cross (Col. i. 20); therefore the scourging is not enough, he must be crucified; a kind of death used only among the Romans; the manner of it is such, that it seems to be the result of wit and cruelty in combination, each putting forth itself to the utmost, to make death in the highest degree terrible and miserable. A cross was set up in the ground, to which the hands and feet were nailed, on which nails the weight of the body hung, till it died of the pain. This was the death to which Christ was condemned, that he might answer the type of the brazen serpent lifted up upon a pole. It was a bloody death, a painful, shameful, cursed death; it was so miserable a death, that merciful princes appointed those who were condemned to it by the law, to be strangled first, and then nailed to the cross; so Julius Cæsar did by some pirates, Sueton. lib. 1. Constantine, the first Christian emperor, by an edict abolished the use of that punishment among the Romans, Sozomen, Hist. lib. 1. ch. 8. Ne salutare signum subserviret ad perniciem—That the symbol of salvation might not be subservient to the victim's destruction.

II. The barbarous treatment which the soldiers gave him, while things were getting ready for his execution. When he was condemned, he ought to have had some time allowed him to prepare for death. There was a law made by the Roman senate, in Tiberius's time, perhaps upon complaint of this and the like precipitation, that the execution of criminals should be deferred at least ten days after sentence. Sueton in Tiber. cap. 25. But there were scarcely allowed so many minutes to our Lord Jesus; nor had he any breathing-time during those minutes; it was a crisis, and there were no lucid intervals allowed him; deep called unto deep, and the storm continued without any intermission.

When he was delivered to be crucified, that was enough; they that kill the body, yield that there is no more that they can do, but Christ's enemies will do more, and, if it be possible, wrap up a thousand deaths in one. Though Pilate pronounced him innocent, yet his soldiers, his guards, set themselves to abuse him, being swayed more by the fury of the people against him, than by their master's testimony for him; the Jewish rabble infected the Roman soldiery, or perhaps it was not so much in spite to him, as to make sport for themselves, that they thus abused him. They understood that he pretended to a crown; to taunt him with that gave them some diversion, and an opportunity to make themselves and one another merry. Note, It is an argument of a base, servile, sordid spirit, to insult over those that are in misery, and to make the calamities of any matter of sport and merriment.

Observe, 1. Where this was done—in the common hall. The governor's house, which should have been a shelter to the wronged and abused, is made the theatre of this barbarity. I wonder that the governor, who was so desirous to acquit himself from the blood of this just person, would suffer this to be done in his house. Perhaps he did not order it to be done, but he connived at it; and those in authority will be accountable, not only for the wickedness which they do, or appoint, but for that which they do not restrain, when it is in the power of their hands. Masters of families should not suffer their houses to be places of abuse to any, nor their servants to make sport with the sins, or miseries, or religion, of others.

2. Who were concerned in it. They gathered the whole band, the soldiers that were to attend the execution, would have the whole regiment (at least five hundred, some think twelve or thirteen hundred) to share in the diversion. If Christ was thus made a spectacle, let none of his followers think it strange to be so used, 1 Cor. iv. 9; Heb. x. 33.

3. What particular indignities were done him.

(1.) They stripped him, v. 28. The shame of nakedness came in with sin (Gen. iii. 7); and therefore Christ, when he came to satisfy for sin, and take it away, was made naked, and submitted to that shame, that he might prepare for us white raiment, to cover us, Rev. iii. 18.

(2.) They put on him a scarlet robe, some old red cloak, such as the Roman soldiers wore, in imitation of the scarlet robes which kings and emperors wore; thus upbraiding him with his being called a King. This sham of majesty they put upon him in his dress, when nothing but meanness and misery appeared in his countenance, only to expose him to the spectators, as the more ridiculous; yet there was something of mystery in it; this was he that was red in his apparel (Isa. lxiii. 1, 2), that washed his garments in wine (Gen. xlix. 11); therefore he was dressed in a scarlet robe. Our sins were as scarlet and crimson. Christ being clad in a scarlet robe, signified his bearing our sins, to his shame, in his own body upon the tree; that we might wash our robes, and make them white, in the blood of the Lamb.

(3.) They platted a crown of thorns, and put it upon his head, v. 29. This was to carry on the humour of making him a mock-king; yet, had they intended it only for a reproach, they might have platted a crown of straw, or rushes, but they designed it to be painful to him, and to be literally, what crowns are said to be figuratively, lined with thorns; he that invented this abuse, it is likely, valued himself upon the wit of it; but there was a mystery in it. [1.] Thorns came in with sin, and were part of the curse that was the product of sin, Gen. iii. 18. Therefore Christ, being made a curse for us, and dying to remove the curse from us, felt the pain and smart of those thorns, nay, and binds them as a crown to him (Job xxxi. 36); for his sufferings for us were his glory. [2.] Now he answered to the type of Abraham's ram that was caught in the thicket, and so offered up instead of Isaac, Gen. xxii. 13. [3.] Thorns signify afflictions, 2 Chron. xxxiii. 11. These Christ put into a crown; so much did he alter the property of them to them that are his, giving them cause to glory in tribulation, and making it to work for them a weight of glory. [4.] Christ was crowned with thorns, to show that his kingdom was not of this world, nor the glory of it worldly glory, but is attended here with bonds and afflictions, while the glory of it is to be revealed. [5.] It was the custom of some heathen nations, to bring their sacrifices to the altars, crowned with garlands; these thorns were the garlands with which this great Sacrifice was crowned. [6.] these thorns, it is likely, fetched blood from his blessed head, which trickled down his face, like the previous ointment (typifying the blood of Christ with which he consecrated himself) upon the head, which ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard, Ps. cxxxiii. 2. Thus, when he came to espouse to himself his love, his dove, his undefiled church, his head was filled with dew, and his locks with the drops of the night, Cant. v. 2.

(4.) They put a reed in his right hand; this was intended for a mock-sceptre, another of the insignia of the majesty they jeered him with; as if this were a sceptre good enough for such a King, as was like a reed shaken with the wind (ch. xi. 7); like sceptre, like kingdom, both weak and wavering, and withering and worthless; but they were quite mistaken, for his throne is for ever and ever, and the sceptre of his kingdom is a right sceptre, Ps. xlv. 6.

(5.) They bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! Having made him a sham King, they thus make a jest of doing homage to him, thus ridiculing his pretensions to sovereignty, as Joseph's brethren (Gen. xxxvii. 8); Shalt thou indeed reign over us? But as they were afterward compelled to do obeisance to him, and enrich his dreams, so these here bowed the knee, in scorn to him who was, soon after this, exalted to the right hand of God, that at his name every knee might bow, or break before him; it is ill jesting with that which, sooner or later, will come in earnest.

(6.) They spit upon him; thus he had been abused in the High Priest's hall, ch. xxvi. 67. In doing homage, the subject kissed the sovereign, in token of his allegiance; thus Samuel kissed Saul, and we are bid to kiss the Son: but they, in this mock-homage, instead of kissing him, spit in his face; that blessed face which outshines the sun, and before which the angels cover theirs, was thus polluted. It is strange that the sons of men should ever do such a piece of villany, and that the Son of God should ever suffer such a piece of ignominy.

(7.) They took the reed, and smote him on the head. That which they had made the mock-ensign of his royalty, they now make the real instrument of their cruelty, and his pain. They smote him, it is probable, upon the crown of thorns, and so struck them into his head, that they might wound it the deeper, which made the more sport for them, to whom his pain was the greatest pleasure. Thus was he despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. All this misery and shame he underwent, that he might purchase for us everlasting life, and joy, and glory.

III. The conveying of him to the place of execution. After they had mocked and abused him, as long as they thought fit, they then took the robe off from him; to signify their divesting him of all the kingly authority they had invested him with, by putting it on him; and they put his own raiment on him, because that was to fall to the soldiers' share, that were employed in the execution. They took off the robe, but no mention is made of their taking off the crown of thorns, whence it is commonly supposed (though there is no certainty of it) that he was crucified with that on his head; for as he is a Priest upon his throne, so he was a King upon his cross. Christ was led to be crucified in his own raiment, because he himself was to bear our sins in his own body upon the tree. And here,

1. They led him away to be crucified; he was led as a lamb to the slaughter, as a sacrifice to the altar. We may well imagine how they hurried him on, and dragged him along, with all the speed possible, lest any thing should intervene to prevent the glutting of their cruel rage with his precious blood. It is probable that they now loaded him with taunts and reproaches, and treated him as the off-scouring of all things. They led him away out of the city; for Christ, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate (Heb. xiii. 12), as if he that was the glory of them that waited for redemption in Jerusalem was not worthy to live among them. To this he himself had an eye, when in the parable he speaks of his being cast out of the vineyard, ch. xxi. 39.

2. They compelled Simon of Cyrene to bear his cross, v. 32. It seems, at first he carried the cross himself, as Isaac carried the wood for the burnt-offering, which was to burn him. And this was intended, as other things, both for pain and shame to him. But after a while they took the cross off from him, either, (1.) In compassion to him, because they saw it was too great a load for him. We can hardly think that they had any consideration of that, yet it teaches us that God considers the frame of his people, and will not suffer them to be tempted above what they are able; he gives them some breathing-time, but they must expect that the cross will return, and the lucid intervals only give them space to prepare for the next fit. But, (2.) Perhaps it was because he could not, with the cross on his back, go forward so fast as they would have him. Or, (3.) They were afraid, lest he should faint away under the load of his cross, and die, and so prevent what their malice further intended to do against him: thus even the tender mercies of the wicked (which seem to be so) are really cruel. Taking the cross off from him, they compelled one Simon of Cyrene to bear it, pressing him to the service by the authority of the governor or the priests. It was a reproach, and none would do it but by compulsion. Some think that this Simon was a disciple of Christ, at least a well-wisher to him, and that they knew it, and therefore put this upon him. Note, All that will approve themselves disciples indeed, must follow Christ, bearing his cross (ch. xvi. 24), bearing his reproach, Heb. xiii. 13. We must know the fellowship of his sufferings for us, and patiently submit to all the sufferings for him we are called out to; for those only shall reign with him, that suffer with him; shall sit with him in his kingdom, that drink of his cup, and are baptized with his baptism.

The Crucifixion.

33 And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull, 34 They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink. 35 And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots. 36 And sitting down they watched him there; 37 And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS. 38 Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left. 39 And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads, 40 And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross. 41 Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, 42 He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. 43 He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God. 44 The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth. 45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? 47 Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias. 48 And straightway one of them ran, and took a sponge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink. 49 The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him.

We have here the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus.

I. The place where our Lord Jesus was put to death.

1. They came to a place called Golgotha, near adjoining to Jerusalem, probably the common place of execution. If he had had a house of his own in Jerusalem, probably, for his greater disgrace, they would have crucified him before his own door. But now in the same place where criminals were sacrificed to the justice of the government, was our Lord Jesus sacrificed to the justice of God. Some think that it was called the place of a skull, because it was the common charnel-house, where the bones and skulls of dead men were laid together out of the way, lest people should touch them, and be defiled thereby. Here lay the trophies of death's victory over multitudes of the children of men; and when by dying Christ would destroy death, he added this circumstance of honour to his victory, that he triumphed over death upon his own dunghill.

2. There they crucified him (v. 35), nailed his hands and feet to the cross, and then reared it up, and him hanging on it; for so the manner of the Romans was to crucify. Let our hearts be touched with the feeling of that exquisite pain which our blessed Saviour now endured, and let us look upon him who was thus pierced, and mourn. Was ever sorrow like unto his sorrow? And when we behold what manner of death he died, let us in that behold with what manner of love he loved us.

II. The barbarous and abusive treatment they gave him, in which their wit and malice vied which should excel. As if death, so great a death, were not bad enough, they contrived to add to the bitterness and terror of it.

1. By the drink they provided for him before he was nailed to the cross, v. 34. It was usual to have a cup of spiced wine for those to drink of, that were to be put to death, according to Solomon's direction (Prov. xxxi. 6, 7), Give strong drink to him that is ready to perish; but with that cup which Christ was to drink of, they mingled vinegar and gall, to make it sour and bitter. This signified, (1.) The sin of man, which is a root of bitterness, bearing gall and wormwood, Deut. xxix. 18. The sinner perhaps rolls it under his tongue as a sweet morsel, but to God it is grapes of gall, Deut. xxxii. 32. It was so to the Lord Jesus, when he bare our sins, and sooner or later it will be so to the sinner himself, bitterness at the latter end, more bitter than death, Eccl. vii. 26. (2.) It signified the wrath of God, that cup which is Father put into his hand, a bitter cup indeed, like the bitter water which caused the curse, Num. v. 18. This drink they offered him, as was literally foretold, Ps. lxix. 21. And, [1.] He tasted thereof, and so had the worst of it, took the bitter taste into his mouth; he let no bitter cup go by him untasted, when he was making atonement for all our sinful tasting of forbidden fruit; now he was tasting death in its full bitterness. [2.] He would not drink it, because he would not have the best of it; would have nothing like an opiate to lessen his sense of pain, for he would die so as to feel himself die, because he had so much work to do, as our High Priest, in his suffering work.

2. By the dividing of his garments, v. 35. When they nailed him to the cross, they stripped him of his garments, at least his upper garments; for by sin we were made naked, to our shame, and thus he purchased for us white raiment to cover us. If we be at any time stripped of our comforts for Christ, let us bear it patiently; he was stripped for us. Enemies may strip us of our clothes, but cannot strip us of our best comforts; cannot take from us the garments of praise. The clothes of those that are executed are the executioner's fee: four soldiers were employed in crucifying Christ, and they must each of them have a share: his upper garment, if it were divided, would be of no use to any of them, and therefore they agreed to cast lots for it. (1.) Some think that the garment was so fine and rich, that it was worth contending for; but that agreed not with the poverty Christ appeared in. (2.) Perhaps they had heard of those that had been cured by touching the hem of his garment, and they thought it valuable for some magic virtue in it. Or, (3.) They hoped to get money of his friends for such a sacred relic. Or, (4.) Because, in derision, they would seem to put a value upon it, as royal clothing. Or, (5.) It was for diversion; to pass away the time while they waited for his death, they would play a game at dice for the clothes; but, whatever they designed, the word of God is herein accomplished. In that famous psalm, the first words of which Christ made use of upon the cross, it was said, They parted my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture, Ps. xxii. 18. This was never true of David, but looks primarily at Christ, of whom David, in spirit, spoke. Then is the offence of this part of the cross ceased; for it appears to have been by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God. Christ stripped himself of his glories, to divide them among us.

They now sat down, and watched him, v. 36. The chief priests were careful, no doubt, in setting this guard, lest the people, whom they still stood in awe of, should rise, and rescue him. But Providence so ordered it, that those who were appointed to watch him, thereby became unexceptionable witnesses for him; having the opportunity to see and hear that which extorted from them that noble confession (v. 54), Truly this was the Son of God.

3. By the title set up over his head, v. 37. It was usual for the vindicating of public justice, and putting the greater shame upon malefactors that were executed, not only by a crier to proclaim before them, but by a writing also over their heads to notify what was the crime for which they suffered; so they set up over Christ's head his accusation written, to give public notice of the charge against him; This is Jesus the King of the Jews. This they designed for his reproach, but God so overruled it, that even his accusation redounded to his honour. For, (1.) Here was no crime alleged against him. It is not said that he was a pretended Saviour, or a usurping King, though they would have it thought so (John xix. 21); but, This is Jesus, a Saviour; surely that was no crime; and, This is the King of the Jews; nor was that a crime; for they expected that the Messiah should be so: so that, his enemies themselves being judges, he did no evil. Nay, (2.) Here was a very glorious truth asserted concerning him—that he is Jesus the King of the Jews, that King whom the Jews expected and ought to have submitted to; so that his accusation amounts to this, That he was the true Messiah and Saviour of the world; as Balaam, when he was sent for to curse Israel, blessed them all together, and that three times (Num. xxiv. 10), so Pilate, instead of accusing Christ as a Criminal, proclaimed him a King, and that three times, in three inscriptions. Thus God makes men to serve his purposes, quite beyond their own.

4. By his companions with him in suffering, v. 38. There were two thieves crucified with him at the same time, in the same place, under the same guard; two highway-men, or robbers upon the road, as the word properly signifies. It is probable that this was appointed to be execution-day; and therefore they hurried the prosecution of Christ in the morning, that they might have him ready to be executed with the other criminals. Some think that Pilate ordered it thus, that this piece of necessary justice, in executing these thieves, might atone for his injustice in condemning Christ; others, that the Jews contrived it, to add to the ignominy of the sufferings of our Lord Jesus; however it was, the scripture was fulfilled in it (Isa. liii. 12), He was numbered with the transgressors.

(1.) It was a reproach to him, that he was crucified with them. Though, while he lived, he was separate from sinners, yet in their deaths they were not divided, but he was made to partake with the vilest malefactors in their plagues, as if he had been a partaker with them in their sins; for he was made sin for us, and took upon him the likeness of sinful flesh. He was, at his death, numbered among the transgressors, and had his lot with the wicked, that we, at our death, might be numbered among the saints, and have our lot among the chosen.

(2.) It was an additional reproach, that he was crucified in the midst, between them, as if he had been the worst of the three, the principal malefactor; for among three the middle is the place for the chief. Every circumstance was contrived to his dishonour, as if the great Saviour were of all others the greatest sinner. It was also intended to ruffle and discompose him, in his last moments, with the shrieks, and groans, and blasphemies, of these malefactors, who, it is likely, made a hideous outcry when they were nailed to the cross; but thus would Christ affect himself with the miseries of sinners, when he was suffering for their salvation. Some of Christ's apostles were afterwards crucified, as Peter, and Andrew, but none of them were crucified with him, lest it should have looked as if they had been joint undertakers with him, in satisfying for man's sin, and joint purchasers of life and glory; therefore he was crucified between two malefactors, who could not be supposed to contribute any thing to the merit of his death; for he himself bare our sins in his own body.

5. By the blasphemies and revilings with which they loaded him when he was hanging upon the cross; though we read not that they cast any reflections on the thieves that were crucified with him. One would have thought that, when they had nailed him to the cross, they had done their worst, and malice itself had been exhausted: indeed if a criminal be put into the pillory, or carted, because it is a punishment less than death, it is usually attended with such expressions of abuse; but a dying man, though an infamous man, should be treated with compassion. It is an insatiable revenge indeed which will not be satisfied with death, so great a death. But, to complete the humiliation of the Lord Jesus, and to show that, when he was dying, he was bearing iniquity, he was then loaded with reproach, and, for aught that appears, not one of his friends, who the other day cried Hosanna to him, durst be seen to show him any respect.

(1.) The common people, that passed by, reviled him. His extreme misery and exemplary patience under it, did not mollify them, or make them to relent; but they who by their outcries brought him to this, now think to justify themselves in it by their reproaches, as if they did well to condemn him. They reviled him: eblasphemoun—they blasphemed him; and blasphemy it was, in the strictest sense, speaking evil of him who thought it not robbery to be equal with God. Observe here,

[1.] The persons that reviled him; they that passed by, the travellers that went along the road, and it was a great road, leading from Jerusalem to Gibeon; they were possessed with prejudices against him by the reports and clamours of the High Priest's creatures. It is a hard thing, and requires more application and resolution than is ordinarily met with, to keep up a good opinion of persons and things that are every where run down, and spoken against. Every one is apt to say as the most say, and to throw a stone at that which is put into an ill name. Turba Remi sequitur fortunam semper et odit damnatos—The Roman rabble fluctuate with a man's fluctuating fortunes, and fail not to depress those that are sinking. Juvenal.

[2.] The gesture they used, in contempt of him—wagging their heads; which signifies their triumph in his fall, and their insulting over him, Isa. xxxvii. 22; Jer. xviii. 16; Lam. ii. 15. The language of it was, Aha, so would we have it, Ps. xxxv. 25. Thus they insulted over him that was the Saviour of their country, as the Philistines did over Samson the destroyer of their country. This very gesture was prophesied of (Ps. xxii. 7); They shake the head at me. And Ps. cix. 25.

[3.] The taunts and jeers they uttered. These are here recorded.

First, They upbraided him with his destroying of the temple. Though the judges themselves were sensible that what he had said of that was misrepresented (as appears Mark xiv. 59), yet they industriously spread it among the people, to bring an odium upon him, that he had a design to destroy the temple; than which nothing would more incense the people against him. And this was not the only time that the enemies of Christ had laboured to make others believe that of religion and the people of God, which they themselves have known to be false, and the charge unjust "Thou that destroyest the temple, that vast and strong fabric, try thy strength now in plucking up that cross, and drawing those nails, and so save thyself; if thou hast the power thou hast boasted of, this is a proper time to exert it, and give proof of it; for it is supposed that every man will do his utmost to save himself." This made the cross of Christ such a stumbling-block to the Jews, that they looked upon it to be inconsistent with the power of the Messiah; he was crucified in weakness (2 Cor. xiii. 4), so it seemed to them; but indeed Christ crucified is the Power of God.

Secondly, They upbraided him with his saying that he was the Son of God; If thou be so, say they, come down from the cross. Now they take the devil's words out of his mouth, with which he tempted him in the wilderness (ch. iv. 3, 6), and renew the same assault; If thou be the Son of God. They think that now, or never, he must prove himself to be the Son of God; forgetting that he had proved it by the miracles he wrought, particularly his raising of the dead; and unwilling to wait for the complete proof of it by his own resurrection, to which he had so often referred himself and them; which, if they had observed it, would have anticipated the offence of the cross. This comes of judging things by the present aspect of them, without a due remembrance of what is past, and a patient expectation of what may further be produced.

(2.) The chief priests and scribes, the church rulers, and the elders, the state rulers, they mocked him, v. 41. They did not think it enough to invite the rabble to do it, but gave Christ the dishonour, and themselves the diversion, or reproaching him in their own proper persons. They should have been in the temple at their devotion, for it was the first day of the feast of unleavened bread, when there was to be a holy convocation (Lev. xxiii. 7); but they were here at the place of execution, spitting their venom at the Lord Jesus. How much below the grandeur and gravity of their character was this! Could any thing tend more to make them contemptible and base before the people? One would have thought, that, though they neither feared God nor regarded man, yet common prudence should have taught them who had so great a hand in Christ's death, to keep as much as might be behind the curtain, and to play least in sight; but nothing is so mean as that malice may stick at it. Did they disparage themselves thus, to do despite to Christ, and shall we be afraid of disparaging ourselves, by joining with the multitude to do him honour, and not rather say, If this be to be vile, I will be yet more vile?

Two things the priests and elders upbraided him with.

[1.] That he could not save himself, v. 42. He had been before abused in his prophetical and kingly office, and now in his priestly office as a Saviour. First, They take it for granted that he could not save himself, and therefore had not the power he pretended to, when really he would not save himself, because he would die to save us. They should have argued, "He saved others, therefore he could save himself, and if he do not, it is for some good reason." But, Secondly, They would insinuate, that, because he did not now save himself, therefore all his pretence to save others was but sham and delusion, and was never really done; though the truth of his miracles was demonstrated beyond contradiction. Thirdly, They upbraid him with being the King of Israel. They dreamed of the external pomp and power of the Messiah, and therefore thought the cross altogether disagreeable to the King of Israel, and inconsistent with that character. Many people would like the King of Israel well enough, if he would but come down from the cross, if they could have his kingdom without the tribulation through which they must enter into it. But the matter is settled; if no cross, then no Christ, no crown. Those that would reign with him, must be willing to suffer with him, for Christ and his cross are nailed together in this world. Fourthly, They challenged him to come down from the cross. And what had become of us then, and the work of our redemption and salvation? If he had been provoked by these scoffs to come down from the cross, and so to have left his undertaking unfinished, we had been for ever undone. But his unchangeable love and resolution set him above, and fortified him against, this temptation, so that he did not fail, nor was discouraged. Fifthly, They promised that, if he would come down from the cross, they would believe him. Let him give them that proof of his being the Messiah, and they will own him to be so. When they had formerly demanded a sign, he told them that the sign he would give them, should be not his coming down from the cross, but, which was a greater instance of his power, his coming up from the grave, which they had not patience to wait two or three days for. If he had come down from the cross, they might with as much reason have said that the soldiers had juggled in nailing him to it, as they said, when he was raised from the dead, that the disciples came by night, and stole him away. But to promise ourselves that we would believe, if we had such and such means and motives of faith as we ourselves would prescribe, when we do not improve what God has appointed, is not only a gross instance of the deceitfulness of our hearts, but the sorry refuge, or subterfuge rather, of an obstinate destroying infidelity.

[2.] That God, his Father, would not save him (v. 43); He trusted in God, that is, he pretended to do so; for he said, I am the Son of God. Those who call God Father, and themselves his children, thereby profess to put a confidence in him, Ps. ix. 10. Now they suggest, that he did but deceive himself and others, when he made himself so much the darling of heaven; for, if he had been the Son of God (as Job's friends argued concerning him), he would not have been abandoned to all this misery, much less abandoned in it. This was a sword in his bones, as David complains of the like (Ps. xlii. 10); and it was a two-edged sword, for it was intended, First, To vilify him, and to make the standers-by think him a deceiver and an impostor; as if his saying, that he was the Son of God, were now effectually disproved. Secondly, To terrify him, and drive him to distrust and despair of his Father's power and love; which some think, was the thing he feared, religiously feared, prayed against, and was delivered from, Heb. v. 7. David complained more of the endeavours of his persecutors to shake his faith, and drive him from his hope in God, than of their attempts to shake his throne, and drive him from his kingdom; their saying, There is no help for him in God (Ps. iii. 2), and, God has forsaken him, Ps. lxxi. 11. In this, as in other things, he was a type of Christ. Nay, these very words David, in that famous prophecy of Christ, mentions, as spoken by his enemies (Ps. xxii. 8); He trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him. Surely these priests and scribes had forgotten their psalter, or they would not have used the same words, so exactly to answer the type and prophecy: but the scriptures must be fulfilled.

(3.) To complete the reproach, the thieves also that were crucified with him were not only not reviled as he was, as if they had been saints compared with him, but, though fellow-sufferers with him, joined in with his prosecutors, and cast the same in his teeth; that is, one of them did, who said, If thou be the Christ, save thyself and us, Luke xxiii. 39. One would think that of all people this thief had least cause, and should have had least mind, to banter Christ. Partners in suffering, though for different causes, usually commiserate one another; and few, whatever they have done before, will breathe their last in revilings. But, it seems, the greatest mortifications of the body, and the most humbling rebukes of Providence, will not of themselves mortify the corruptions of the soul, nor suppress the wickedness of the wicked, without the grace of God.

Well, thus our Lord Jesus having undertaken to satisfy the justice of God for the wrong done him in his honour by sin, he did it by suffering in his honour; not only by divesting himself of that which was due to him as the Son of God, but by submitting to the utmost indignity that could be done to the worst of men; because he was made sin for us, he was thus made a curse for us, to make reproach easy to us, if at any time we suffer it, and have all manner of evil said against us falsely, for righteousness' sake.

III. We have here the frowns of heaven, which our Lord Jesus was under, in the midst of all these injuries and indignities from men. Concerning which, observe,

1. How this was signified—by an extraordinary and miraculous eclipse of the sun, which continued for three hours, v. 45. There was darkness epi pasan ten gen—over all the earth; so most interpreters understand it, though our translation confines it to that land. Some of the ancients appealed to the annals of the nation concerning this extraordinary eclipse at the death of Christ, as a thing well known, and which gave notice to those parts of the world of something great then in doing; as the sun's going back in Hezekiah's time did. It is reported that Dionysius, at Heliopolis in Egypt, took notice of this darkness, and said, Aut Deus naturæ patitur, aut mundi machina dissolvitur—Either the God of nature is suffering, or the machine of the world is tumbling into ruin. An extraordinary light gave intelligence of the birth of Christ (ch. ii. 2), and therefore it was proper that an extraordinary darkness should notify his death, for he is the Light of the world. The indignities done to our Lord Jesus, made the heavens astonished, and horribly afraid, and even put them into disorder and confusion; such wickedness as this the sun never saw before, and therefore withdrew, and would not see this. This surprising, amazing, darkness was designed to stop the mouths of those blasphemers, who were reviling Christ as he hung on the cross; and it should seem that, for the present, it struck such a terror upon them, that though their hearts were not changed, yet they were silent, and stood doubting what this should mean, till after three hours the darkness scattered, and then (as appears by v. 47), like Pharaoh when the plague was over, they hardened their hearts. But that which was principally intended in this darkness, was, (1.) Christ's present conflict with the powers of darkness. Now the prince of this world, and his forces, the rulers of the darkness of this world, were to be cast out, to be spoiled and vanquished; and to make his victory the more illustrious, he fights them on their own ground; gives them all the advantage they could have against him by this darkness, lets them take the wind and sun, and yet baffles them, and so becomes more than a conqueror. (2.) His present want of heavenly comforts. This darkness signified that dark cloud which the human soul of our Lord Jesus was now under. God makes his sun to shine upon the just and upon the unjust; but even the light of the sun was withheld from our Saviour, when he was made sin for us. A pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun; but because now his soul was exceeding sorrowful, and the cup of divine displeasure was filled to him without mixture, even the light of the sun was suspended. When earth denied him a drop of cold water, heaven denied him a beam of light; having to deliver us from utter darkness, he did himself, in the depth of his sufferings, walk in darkness, and had no light, Isa. l. 10. During the three hours that this darkness continued, we do not find that he said one word, but passed this time in a silent retirement into his own soul, which was now in agony, wrestling with the powers of darkness, and taking in the impressions of his Father's displeasure, not against himself, but the sin of man, which he was now making his soul an offering for. Never were there three such hours since the day that God created man upon the earth, never such a dark and awful scene; the crisis of that great affair of man's redemption and salvation.

2. How he complained of it (v. 46); About the ninth hour, when it began to clear up, after a long and silent conflict. Jesus cried, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? The words are related in the Syriac tongue, in which they were spoken, because worthy of double remark, and for the sake of the perverse construction which his enemies put upon them, in putting Elias for Eli. Now observe here,

(1.) Whence he borrowed this complaint—from Ps. xxii. 1. It is not probable (as some have thought) that he repeated the whole psalm; yet hereby he intimated that the whole was to be applied to him, and that David, in spirit, there spoke of his humiliation and exaltation. This, and that other word, Into thy hands I commit my spirit, he fetched from David's psalms (though he could have expressed himself in his own words), to teach us of what use the word of God is to us, to direct us in prayer, and to recommend to us the use of scripture-expressions in prayer, which will help our infirmities.

(2.) How he uttered it—with a loud voice; which bespeaks the extremity of his pain and anguish, the strength of nature remaining in him, and the great earnestness of his spirit in this expostulation. Now the scripture was fulfilled (Joel iii. 15, 16); The sun and the moon shall be darkened. The Lord shall also roar out of Zion, and utter his voice form Jerusalem. David often speaks of his crying aloud in prayer, Ps. lv. 17.

(3.) What the complaint was—My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me? A strange complaint to come from the mouth of our Lord Jesus, who, we are sure, was God's elect, in whom his soul delighted (Isa. xlii. 1), and one in whom he was always well pleased. The Father now loved him, nay, he knew that therefore he loved him, because he laid down his life for the sheep; what, and yet forsaken of him, and in the midst of his sufferings too! Surely never sorrow was like unto that sorrow which extorted such a complaint as this from one who, being perfectly free from sin, could never be a terror to himself; but the heart knows its own bitterness. No wonder that such a complaint as this made the earth to quake, and rent the rocks; for it is enough to make both the ears of every one that hears it to tingle, and ought to be spoken of with great reverence.

Note, [1.] That our Lord Jesus was, in his sufferings, for a time, forsaken by his Father. So he saith himself, who we are sure was under no mistake concerning his own case. Not that the union between the divine and human nature was in the least weakened or shocked; no, he was now by the eternal Spirit offering himself: nor as if there were any abatement of his Father's love to him, or his to his Father; we are sure that there was upon his mind no horror of God, or despair of his favour, nor any thing of the torments of hell; but his Father forsook him; that is, First, He delivered him up into the hands of his enemies, and did not appear to deliver him out of their hands. He let loose the powers of darkness against him, and suffered them to do their worst, worse than against Job. Now was that scripture fulfilled (Job xvi. 11), God hath turned me over into the hands of the wicked; and no angel is sent from heaven to deliver him, no friend on earth raised up to appear for him. Secondly, He withdrew from him the present comfortable sense of his complacency in him. When his soul was first troubled, he had a voice from heaven to comfort him (John xii. 27, 28); when he was in his agony in the garden, there appeared an angel from heaven strengthening him; but now he had neither the one nor the other. God hid his face from him, and for awhile withdrew his rod and staff in the darksome valley. God forsook him, not as he forsook Saul, leaving him to an endless despair, but as sometimes he forsook David, leaving him to a present despondency. Thirdly, He let out upon his soul an afflicting sense of his wrath against man for sin. Christ was made Sin for us, a Curse for us; and therefore, though God loved him as a Son, he frowned upon him as a Surety. These impressions he was pleased to admit, and to waive that resistance of them which he could have made; because he would accommodate himself to this part of his undertaking, as he had done to all the rest, when it was in his power to have avoided it.

[2.] That Christ's being forsaken of his Father was the most grievous of his sufferings, and that which he complained most of. Here he laid the most doleful accents; he did not say, "Why am I scourged? And why spit upon? And why nailed to the cross?" Nor did he say to his disciples, when they turned their back upon him, Why have ye forsaken me? But when his Father stood at a distance, he cried out thus; for this as it that put wormwood and gall into the affliction and misery. This brought the waters into the soul, Ps. lxix. 1-3.

[3.] That our Lord Jesus, even when he was thus forsaken of his Father, kept hold of him as his God, notwithstanding; My God, my God; though forsaking me, yet mine. Christ was God's servant in carrying on the work of redemption, to him he was to make satisfaction, and by him to be carried through and crowned, and upon that account he calls him his God; for he was now doing his will. See Isa. xlix. 5-9. This supported him, and bore him up, that even in the depth of his sufferings God was his God, and this he resolves to keep fast hold of.

(4.) See how his enemies impiously bantered and ridiculed this complaint (v. 47); They said, This man calleth for Elias. Some think that this was the ignorant mistake of the Roman soldiers, who had heard talk of Elias, and of the Jews' expectation of the coming of Elias, but knew not the signification of Eli, Eli, and so made this blundering comment upon these words of Christ, perhaps not hearing the latter part of what he said, for the noise of the people. Note, Many of the reproaches cast upon the word of God and the people of God, take rise from gross mistakes. Divine truths are often corrupted by ignorance of the language and style of the scripture. Those that hear by the halves, pervert what they hear. But others think that it was the wilful mistake of some of the Jews, who knew very well what he said, but were disposed to abuse him, and make themselves and their companions merry, and to misrepresent him as one who, being forsaken of God, was driven to trust in creatures; perhaps hinting also, that he who had pretended to be himself the Messiah, would now be glad to be beholden to Elias, who was expected to be only the harbinger and forerunner of the Messiah. Note, It is no new thing for the most pious devotions of the best men to be ridiculed and abused by profane scoffers; nor are we to think it strange if what is well said in praying and preaching be misconstrued, and turned to our reproach; Christ's words were so, though he spoke as never man spoke.

IV. The cold comfort which his enemies ministered to him in this agony, which was like all the rest.

1. Some gave him vinegar to drink (v. 48); instead of some cordial-water to revive and refresh him under this heavy burthen, they tantalized him with that which did not only add to the reproach they were loading him with, but did too sensibly represent that cup of trembling which his Father had put into his hand. One of them ran to fetch it, seeming to be officious to him, but really glad of an opportunity to abuse and affront him, and afraid lest any one should take it out of his hands.

2. Others, which the same purpose of disturbing and abusing him, refer him to Elias (v. 49); "Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him. Come, let him alone, his case is desperate, neither heaven nor earth can help him; let us do nothing either to hasten his death, or to retard it; he has appealed to Elias, and to Elias let him go."

The Crucifixion; The Death of Christ.

50 Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. 51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; 52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, 53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. 54 Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God. 55 And many women were there beholding afar off, which followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him: 56 Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's children.

We have here, at length, an account of the death of Christ, and several remarkable passages that attended it.

I. The manner how he breathed his last (v. 50); between the third and the sixth hour, that is, between nine and twelve o'clock, as we reckon, he was nailed to the cross, and soon after the ninth hour, that is, between three and four o'clock in the afternoon, he died. That was the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, and the time when the paschal lamb was killed; and Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us and offered himself in the evening of the world a sacrifice to God of a sweet-smelling savour. It was at that time of the day, that the angel Gabriel delivered to Daniel that glorious prediction of the Messiah, Dan. ix. 21, 24, &c. And some think that from that very time when the angel spoke it, to this time when Christ died, was just seventy weeks, that is, four hundred and ninety years to a day, to an hour; as the departure of Israel out of Egypt was at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the self-same day, Exod. xii. 41.

Two things are here noted concerning the manner of Christ's dying.

1. That he cried with a loud voice, as before, v. 46. Now,

(1.) This was a sign, that, after all his pains and fatigues, his life was whole in him, and nature strong. The voice of dying men is one of the first things that fails; with a panting breath and a faltering tongue, a few broken words are hardly spoken, and more hardly heard. But Christ, just before he expired, spoke like a man in his full strength, to show that his life was not forced from him, but was freely delivered by him into his Father's hands, as his own act and deed. He that had strength to cry thus when he died, could have got loose from the arrest he was under, and have bid defiance to the powers of death; but to show that by the eternal Spirit he offered himself, being the Priest as well as the Sacrifice, he cried with a loud voice.

(2.) It was significant. This loud voice shows that he attacked our spiritual enemies with an undaunted courage, and such a bravery of resolution as bespeaks him hearty in the cause and daring in the encounter. He was now spoiling principalities and powers, and in this loud voice he did, as it were, shout for mastery, as one mighty to save, Isa. lxiii. 1. Compare with this, Isa. lxxii. 13, 14. He now bowed himself with all his might, as Samson did, when he said, Let me die with the Philistines, Judg. xvi. 30. Animamque in vulnere ponit—And lays down his life. His crying with a loud voice when he died, signified that his death should be published and proclaimed to all the world; all mankind being concerned in it, and obliged to take notice of it. Christ's loud cry was like a trumpet blown over the sacrifices.

2. That then he yielded up the ghost. This is the usual periphrasis of dying; to show that the Son of God upon the cross did truly and properly die by the violence of the pain he was put to. His soul was separated from his body, and so his body was left really and truly dead. It was certain that he did die, for it was requisite that he should die; thus it was written, both in the close rolls of the divine counsels, and in the letters patent of the divine predictions, and therefore thus it behoved him to suffer. Death being the penalty for the breach of the first covenant (Thou shalt surely die), the Mediator of the new covenant must make atonement by means of death, otherwise no remission, Heb. ix. 15. He had undertaken to make his soul an offering for sin; and he did it, when he yielded up the ghost, and voluntarily resigned it.

II. The miracles that attended his death. So many miracles being wrought by him in his life, we might well expect some to be wrought concerning him at his death, for his name was called Wonderful. Had he been fetched away as Elijah in a fiery chariot, that had itself been miracle enough; but, being sent for away by an ignominious cross, it was requisite that his humiliation should be attended with some signal emanations of the divine glory.

1. Behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain. This relation is ushered in with Behold; "Turn aside, and see this great sight, and be astonished at it." Just as our Lord Jesus expired, at the time of the offering of the evening-sacrifice, and upon a solemn day, when the priests were officiating in the temple, and might themselves be eyewitnesses of it, the veil of the temple was rent by an invisible power; that veil which parted between the holy place and the most holy. They had condemned him for saying, I will destroy this temple, understanding it literally; now by this specimen of his power he let them know that, if he had pleased, he could have made his words good. In this, as in others of Christ's miracles, there was a mystery.

(1.) It was in correspondence with the temple of Christ's body, which was now in the dissolving. This was the true temple, in which dwelt the fulness of the Godhead; when Christ cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost, and so dissolved that temple, the literal temple did, as it were, echo to that cry, and answer the stroke, by rending its veil. Note, Death is the rending of the veil of flesh which interposes between us and the holy of holies; the death of Christ was so, the death of true Christians is so.

(2.) It signified the revealing and unfolding of the mysteries of the Old Testament. The veil of the temple was for concealment, as was that on the face of Moses, therefore it was called the veil of the covering; for it was highly penal for any person to see the furniture of the most holy place, except the High-Priest, and he but once a year, with great ceremony and through a cloud of smoke; all which signified the darkness of that dispensation; 2 Cor. iii. 13. But now, at the death of Christ, all was laid open, the mysteries were unveiled, so that now he that runs may read the meaning of them. Now we see that the mercy-seat signified Christ the great Propitiation; the pot of manna signified Christ the Bread of life. Thus we all with open face behold, as in a glass (which helps the sight, as the veil hindered it), the glory of the Lord. Our eyes see the salvation.

(3.) It signified the uniting of Jew and Gentile, by the removing of the partition wall between them, which was the ceremonial law, by which the Jews were distinguished from all other people (as a garden enclosed), were brought near to God, while others were made to keep their distance. Christ, in his death, repealed the ceremonial law, cancelled that hand-writing of ordinances, took it out of the way, nailed it to his cross, and so broke down the middle wall of partition; and by abolishing those institutions abolished the enmity, and made in himself of twain one new man (as two rooms are made one, and that large and lightsome, by taking down the partition), so making peace, Eph. ii. 14-16. Christ died, to rend all dividing veils, and to make all his one, John xvii. 21.

(4.) It signified the consecrating and laying open of a new and living way to God. The veil kept people off from drawing near to the most holy place, where the Shechinah was. But the rending of it signified that Christ by his death opened a way to God, [1.] For himself. This was the great day of atonement, when our Lord Jesus, as the great High-Priest, not by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood, entered once for all into the holy place; in token of which the veil was rent, Heb. ix. 7, &c. Having offered his sacrifice in the outer court, the blood of it was now to be sprinkled upon the mercy-seat within the veil; wherefore lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; for the King of glory, the Priest of glory, shall come in. Now was he caused to draw near, and made to approach, Jer. xxx. 21. Though he did not personally ascend into the holy place not made with hands till above forty days after, yet he immediately acquired a right to enter, and had a virtual admission. [2.] For us in him: so the apostle applies it, Heb. x. 19, 20. We have boldness to enter into the holiest, by that new and living way which he has consecrated for us through the veil. He died, to bring us to God, and, in order thereunto, to rend that veil of guilt and wrath which interposed between us and him, to take away the cherubim and flaming sword, and to open the way to the tree of life. We have free access through Christ to the throne of grace, or mercy-seat, now, and to the throne of glory hereafter, Heb. iv. 16; vi. 20. The rending of the veil signified (as that ancient hymn excellently expresses it), that, when Christ had overcome the sharpness of death, he opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers. Nothing can obstruct or discourage our access to heaven, for the veil is rent; a door is opened in heaven, Rev. iv. 1.

2. The earth did quake; not only mount Calvary, where Christ was crucified, but the whole land, and the adjacent countries. This earthquake signified two things.

(1.) The horrible wickedness of Christ's crucifiers. The earth, by trembling under such a load, bore its testimony to the innocency of him that was persecuted, and against the impiety of those that persecuted him. Never did the whole creation, before, groan under such a burthen as the Son of God crucified, and the guilty wretches that crucified him. The earth quaked, as if it feared to open its mouth to receive the blood of Christ, so much more precious than that of Abel, which it had received, and was cursed for it (Gen. iv. 11, 12); and as if it fain would open its mouth, to swallow up those rebels that put him to death, as it had swallowed up Dathan and Abiram for a much less crime. When the prophet would express God's great displeasure against the wickedness of the wicked, he asks, Shall not the land tremble for this? Amos viii. 8.

(2.) The glorious achievements of Christ's cross. This earthquake signified the mighty shock, nay, the fatal blow, now given to the devil's kingdom. So vigorous was the assault Christ now made upon the infernal powers, that (as of old, when he went out of Seir, when he marched through the field of Edom) the earth trembled, Judg. v. 4; Ps. lxviii. 7, 8. God shakes all nations, when the Desire of all nations is to come; and there is a yet once more, which perhaps refers to this shaking, Hag. ii. 6, 21.

3. The rocks rent; the hardest and firmest part of the earth was made to feel this mighty shock. Christ had said, that if the children should cease to cry Hosanna, the stones would immediately cry out; and now, in effect, they did so, proclaiming the glory of the suffering Jesus, and themselves more sensible of the wrong done him than the hard-hearted Jews were, who yet will shortly be glad to find a hole in the rocks, and a cleft in the ragged rocks, to hide them from the face of him that sitteth on the throne. See Rev. vi. 16; Isa. ii. 21. But when God's fury is poured out like fire, the rocks are thrown down by him, Nah. i. 6. Jesus Christ is the Rock; and the rending of these rocks, signified the rending of that rock, (1.) That in the clefts of it was may be hid, as Moses in the cleft of the rock at Horeb, that there we may behold the glory of the Lord, as he did, Exod. xxxiii. 22. Christ's dove is said to be hid in the clefts of the rock (Cant. ii. 14), that is, as some make the allusion, sheltered in the wounds of our Lord Jesus, the Rock rent. (2.) That from the cleft of it rivers of living water may flow, and follow us in this wilderness, as from the rock which Moses smote (Exod. xvii. 6), and which God clave (Ps. lxxviii. 15); and that rock was Christ, 1 Cor. x. 4. When we celebrate the memorial of Christ's death, our hard and rocky hearts must be rent—the heart, and not the garments. That heart is harder than a rock, that will not yield, that will not melt, where Jesus Christ is evidently set forth crucified.

4. The graves were opened. This matter is not related so fully as our curiosity would wish; for the scripture was not intended to gratify that; it should seem, that same earthquake that rent the rocks, opened the graves, and many bodies of saints which slept, arose. Death to the saints is but the sleep of the body, and the grave the bed it sleeps in; they awoke by the power of the Lord Jesus, and (v. 53) came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into Jerusalem, the holy city, and appeared unto many. Now here,

(1.) We may raise many enquiries concerning it, which we cannot resolve: as, [1.] Who these saints were, that did arise. Some think, the ancient patriarchs, that were in such care to be buried in the land of Canaan, perhaps in the believing foresight of the advantage of this early resurrection. Christ had lately proved the doctrine of the resurrection from the instance of the patriarchs (ch. xxii. 32), and here was a speedy confirmation of his argument. Others think, these that arose were modern saints, such as had been Christ in the flesh, but died before him; as his father Joseph, Zecharias, Simeon, John Baptist, and others, that had been known to the disciples, while they lived, and therefore were the fitter to be witnesses to them in an apparition after. What if we should suppose that they were the martyrs, who in the Old-Testament times had sealed the truths of God with their blood, that were thus dignified and distinguished? Christ particularly points at them as his forerunners, ch. xxiii. 35. And we find (Rev. xx. 4, 5), that those who were beheaded for the testimony of Jesus, arose before the rest of the dead. Sufferers with Christ shall first reign with him. [2.] It is uncertain whether (as some think) they arose to life, now at the death of Christ, and disposed of themselves elsewhere, but did not go into the city till after his resurrection; or whether (as others think), though their sepulchres (which the Pharisees had built and varnished, ch. xxiii. 29), and so made remarkable, were shattered now by the earthquake (so little did God regard that hypocritical respect), yet they did not revive and rise till after the resurrection; only, for brevity-sake, it is mentioned here, upon the mention of the opening of the graves, which seems more probable. [3.] Some think that they arose only to bear witness of Christ's resurrection to those to whom they appeared, and, having finished their testimony, retired to their graves again. But it is more agreeable, both to Christ's honour and theirs, to suppose, though we cannot prove, that they arose as Christ did, to die no more, and therefore ascended with him to glory. Surely on them who did partake of his first resurrection, a second death had no power. [4.] To whom they appeared (not to all the people it is certain, but to many), whether enemies or friends, in what manner they appeared, how often, what they said and did, and how they disappeared, are secret things which belong not to us; we must not covet to be wise above what is written. The relating of this matter so briefly, is a plain intimation to us, that we must not look that way for a confirmation of our faith; we have a more sure word of prophecy. See Luke xvi. 31.

(2.) Yet we may learn many good lessons from it. [1.] That even those who lived and died before the death and resurrection of Christ, had saving benefit thereby, as well as those who have lived since; for he was the same yesterday that he is to-day, and will be for ever, Heb. xiii. 8. [2.] That Jesus Christ, by dying, conquered, disarmed, and disabled, death. These saints that arose, were the present trophies of the victory of Christ's cross over the powers of death, which he thus made a show of openly. Having by death destroyed him that had the power of death, he thus led captivity captive, and gloried in these re-taken prizes, in them fulfilling that scripture, I will ransom them from the power of the grave. [3.] That, in virtue of Christ's resurrection, the bodies of all the saints shall, in the fulness of time, rise again. This was an earnest of the general resurrection at the last day, when all that are in the graves shall hear the voice of the Son of God. And perhaps Jerusalem is therefore called here the holy city, because the saints, at the general resurrection, shall enter into the new Jerusalem; which will be indeed what the other was in name and type only, the holy city, Rev. xxi. 2. [4.] That all the saints do, by the influence of Christ's death, and in conformity to it, rise from the death of sin to the life of righteousness. They are raised up with him to a divine and spiritual life; they go into the holy city, become citizens of it, have their conversation in it, and appear to many, as persons not of this world.

III. The conviction of his enemies that were employed in the execution (v. 54), which some make no less than another miracle, all things considered. Observe,

1. The persons convinced; the centurion, and they that were with him watching Jesus; a captain and his company, that were set on the guard on this occasion. (1.) They were soldiers, whose profession is commonly hardening, and whose breasts are commonly not so susceptible as some others of the impressions either of fear or pity. But there is no spirit too big, too bold, for the power of Christ to break and humble. (2.) They ware Romans, Gentiles, who knew not the scriptures which were now fulfilled; yet they only were convinced. A sad presage of the blindness that should happen to Israel, when the gospel should be sent to the Gentiles, to open their eyes. Here were the Gentiles softened, and the Jews hardened. (3.) They were the persecutors of Christ, and those that but just before had reviled him, as appears Luke xxiii. 36. How soon can God, by the power he has over men's consciences, alter their language, and fetch confessions of his truths, to his own glory, out of the mouths of those that have breathed nothing but threatenings, and slaughter, and blasphemies!

2. The means of their conviction; they perceived the earthquake, which frightened them, and saw the other things that were done. These were designed to assert the honour of Christ in his sufferings, and had their end on these soldiers, whatever they had on others. Note, The dreadful appearances of God in his providence sometimes work strangely for the conviction and awakening of sinners.

3. The expressions of this conviction, in two things.

(1.) The terror that was struck upon them; they feared greatly; feared lest they should have been buried in the darkness, or swallowed up in the earthquake. Note, God can easily frighten the most daring of his adversaries, and make them know themselves to be but men. Guilt puts men into fear. He that, when iniquity abounds, doth not fear always, with a fear of caution, when judgments are abroad, cannot but fear greatly, with a fear of amazement; whereas there are those who will not fear, though the earth be removed, Ps. xlvi. 1, 2.

(2.) The testimony that was extorted from them; they said, Truly this was the Son of God; a noble confession; Peter was blessed for it, ch. xvi. 16, 17. It was the great matter now in dispute, the point upon which he and his enemies had joined issue, ch. xxvi. 63, 64. His disciples believed it, but at this time durst not confess it; our Saviour himself was tempted to question it, when he said, Why hast thou forsaken me? The Jews, now that he was dying upon the cross, looked upon it as plainly determined against him, that he was not the Son of God, because he did not come down from the cross. And yet now this centurion and the soldiers make this voluntary confession of the Christian faith, Truly this was the Son of God. The best of his disciples could not have said more at any time, and at this time they had not faith and courage enough to say thus much. Note, God can maintain and assert the honour of a truth then when it seems to be crushed, and run down; for great is the truth, and will prevail.

IV. The attendance of his friends, that were witnesses of his death, v. 55, 56. Observe,

1. Who they were; many women who followed him from Galilee. Not his apostles (only elsewhere we find John by the cross, John xix. 26), their hearts failed them, they durst not appear, for fear of coming under the same condemnation. But here were a company of women, some would have called them silly women, that boldly stuck to Christ, when the rest of his disciples had basely deserted him. Note, Even those of the weaker sex are often, by the grace of God, made strong in faith, that Christ's strength may be made perfect in weakness. There have been women martyrs, famous for courage and resolution in Christ's cause. Now of these women it is said, (1.) That they had followed Jesus from Galilee, out of the great love they had to him, and a desire to hear him preach; otherwise, the males only were obliged to come up, to worship at the feast. Now having followed him such a long journey as from Galilee to Jerusalem, eighty or a hundred miles, they resolved not to forsake him now. Note, Our former services and sufferings for Christ should be an argument with us, faithfully to persevere to the end in our attendance on him. Have we followed him so far and so long, done so much, and laid out so much for him, and shall we forsake him now? Gal. iii. 3, 4. (2.) That they ministered to him of their substance, for his necessary subsistence. How gladly would they have ministered to him now, if they might have been admitted! But, being forbidden that, they resolved to follow him. Note, When we are restrained from doing what we would, we must do what we can, in the service of Christ. Now that he is in heaven, though he is out of the reach of our ministration, he is not out of the reach of our believing views. (3.) Some of them are particularly named; for God will honour those that honour Christ. They were such as we have several times met with before, and it was their praise, that we meet with them to the last.

2. What they did; they were beholding afar off.

(1.) They stood afar off. Whether their own fear or their enemies' fury kept them at a distance, is not certain; however, it was an aggravation of the sufferings of Christ, that his lovers and friends stood aloof from his sore, Ps. xxxviii. 11; Job xix. 13. Perhaps they might have come nearer, if they would; but good people, when they are in sufferings, must not think it strange, if some of their best friends be shy of them. When Paul's danger was imminent, no man stood by him, 2 Tim. iv. 16. If we be thus looked strangely upon, remember, our Master was so before us.

(2.) They were there beholding, in which they showed a concern and kindness for Christ; when they were debarred from doing any other office of love to him, they looked a look of love toward him. [1.] It was a sorrowful look; they looked unto him who was now pierced, and mourned; and no doubt, were in bitterness for him. We may well imagine how it cut them to the heart, to see him in this torment; and what floods of tears it fetched from their eyes. Let us with an eye of faith behold Christ and him crucified, and be affected with that great love wherewith he loved us. But, [2.] It was no more than a look; they beheld him, but they could not help him. Note, When Christ was in his sufferings, the best of his friends were but spectators and lookers on, even the angelic guards stood trembling by, saith Mr. Norris, for he trod the wine-press alone, and of the people there was none with him; so his own arm wrought salvation.

The Burial of Christ.

57 When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathæa, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple: 58 He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. 59 And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60 And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed. 61 And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre. 62 Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, 63 Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again. 64 Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first. 65 Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can. 66 So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.

We have here an account of Christ's burial, and the manner and circumstances of it, concerning which observe, 1. The kindness and good will of his friends that laid him in the grave. 2. The malice and ill will of his enemies that were very solicitous to keep him there.

I. His friends gave him a decent burial. Observe,

1. In general, that Jesus Christ was buried; when his precious soul was gone to paradise, his blessed body was deposited in the chambers of the grave, that he might answer the type of Jonas, and fulfil the prophecy of Isaias; he made his grave with the wicked. Thus in all things he must be made like unto his brethren, sin only excepted, and, like us, unto dust he must return. He was buried, to make his death the more certain, and his resurrection the more illustrious. Pilate would not deliver his body to be buried, till he was well assured that he was really dead; while the witnesses lay unburied, there were some hopes concerning them, Rev. xi. 8. But Christ, the great Witness, is as one free among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave. He was buried, that he might take off the terror of the grave, and make it easy to us, might warm and perfume that cold noisome bed for us, and that we might be buried with him.

2. The particular circumstances of his burial here related.

(1.) The time when he was buried; when the evening was come; the same evening that he died, before sun-set, as is usual in burying malefactors. It was not deferred till the next day, because it was the sabbath; for burying the dead is not proper work either for a day of rest or for a day of rejoicing, as the sabbath is.

(2.) The person that took care of the funeral was Joseph of Arimathea. The apostles had all fled, and none of them appeared to show this respect to their Master, which the disciples of John showed to him after he was beheaded, who took up his body, and buried it, ch. xiv. 12. The women that followed him durst not move in it; then did God stir up this good man to do it; for what work God has to do, he will find out instruments to do it. Joseph was a fit man, for, [1.] He had wherewithal to do it, being a rich man. Most of Christ's disciples were poor men, such were most fit to go about the country to preach the gospel; but here was one that was a rich man, ready to be employed in a piece of service which required a man of estate. Note, Worldly wealth, though it is to many an objection in religion's way, yet, in some services to be done for Christ, it is an advantage and an opportunity, and it is well for those who have it, if withal they have a heart to use it for God's glory. [2.] He was well affected to our Lord Jesus, for he was himself his disciple, believed in him, though he did not openly profess it. Note, Christ has more secret disciples than we are aware of; seven thousand in Israel, Rom. xi. 4.

(3.) The grant of the dead body procured from Pilate, v. 58. Joseph went to Pilate, the proper person to be applied to on this occasion, who had the disposal of the body; for in things wherein the power of the magistrate is concerned, due regard must be had to that power, and nothing done to break in upon it. What we do that is good, must be done peaceably, and not tumultuously. Pilate was willing to give the body to one that would inter it decently, that he might do something towards atoning for the guilt his conscience charged him with in condemning an innocent person. In Joseph's petition, and Pilate's ready grant of it, honour was done to Christ, and a testimony borne to his integrity.

(4.) The dressing of the body in its grave-clothes (v. 59); though he was an honourable counsellor, yet he himself took the body, as it should seem, into his own arms, from the infamous and accursed tree (Acts xiii. 29); for where there is true love to Christ, no service will be thought too mean to stoop to for him. Having taken it, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth; for burying in linen was then the common usage, which Joseph complied with. Note, Care is to be taken of the dead bodies of good men, for there is a glory intended for them at the resurrection, which we must hereby testify our belief of, and wind up the dead body as designed for a better place. This common act of humanity, if done after a godly sort, may be made an acceptable piece of Christianity.

(5.) The depositing of it in the sepulchre, v. 60. Here there was nothing of that pomp and solemnity with which the grandees of the world are brought to the grave, and laid in the tomb, Job xxi. 32. A private funeral did best befit him whose kingdom came not with observation.

[1.] He was laid in a borrowed tomb, in Joseph's burying place; as he had not a house of his own, wherein to lay his head while he lived, so he had not a grave of his own, wherein to lay his body when he was dead, which was an instance of his poverty; yet in this there might be somewhat of a mystery. The grave is the peculiar heritage of a sinner, Job xxiv. 19. There is nothing we can truly call our own but our sins and our graves; he returneth to his earth, Psalm cxlvi. 4. When we go to the grave, we go to our own place; but our Lord Jesus, who had no sin of his own, had no grave of his own; dying under imputed sin, it was fit that he should be buried in a borrowed grave; the Jews designed that he should have made his grave with the wicked, should have been buried with the thieves with whom he was crucified, but God over-ruled it, so as that he should make it with the rich in his death, Isa. liii. 9.

[2.] He was laid in a new tomb, which Joseph, it is likely, designed for himself; it would, however, be never the worse for his lying in it, who was to rise so quickly, but a great deal the better for his lying in it, who has altered the property of the grave, and made it anew indeed, by turning it into a bed of rest, nay into a bed of spices, for all the saints.

[3.] In a tomb that was hewn out of a rock; the ground about Jerusalem was generally rocky. Shebna had his sepulchre hewn out thereabouts in a rock, Isa. xxii. 16. Providence ordered it that Christ's sepulchre should be in a solid entire rock, that no room might be left to suspect his disciples had access to it by some underground passage, or broke through the back wall of it, to steal the body; for there was no access to it but by the door, which was watched.

[4.] A great stone was rolled to the door of his sepulchre; this also was according to the custom of the Jews in burying their dead, as appears by the description of the grave of Lazarus (John xi. 38), signifying that those who are dead, are separated and cut off from all the living; if the grave were his prison, now was the prison-door locked and bolted. The rolling of the stone to the grave's mouth, was with them as filling up the grave is with us, it completed the funeral. Having thus in silence and sorrow deposited the previous body of our Lord Jesus in the grave, the house appointed for all living, they departed without any further ceremony. It is the most melancholy circumstance in the funerals of our Christian friends, when we have laid their bodies in the dark and silent grave, to go home, and leave them behind; but alas, it is not we that go home, and leave them behind, no, it is they that are gone to the better home, and have left us behind.

(6.) The company that attended the funeral; and that was very small and mean. Here were none of the relations in mourning, to follow the corpse, no formalities to grace the solemnity, but some good women that were true mourners—Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, v. 56. These, as they had attended him to the cross, so they followed him to the grave; as if they composed themselves to sorrow, they sat over against the sepulchre, not so much to fill their eyes with the sight of what was done, as to empty them in rivers of tears. Note, True love to Christ will carry us through, to the utmost, in following him. Death itself cannot quench that divine fire, Cant. viii. 6, 7.

II. His enemies did what they could to prevent his resurrection; what they did herein was the next day that followed the day of the preparation, v. 62. That was the seventh day of the week, the Jewish sabbath, yet not expressly called so, but described by this periphrasis, because it was now shortly to give way to the Christian sabbath, which began the day after. Now, 1. All that day, Christ lay dead in the grave; having for six days laboured and done all his work, on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed. 2. On that day, the chief priests and Pharisees, when they should have been at their devotions, asking pardon for the sins of the week past, were dealing with Pilate about securing the sepulchre, and so adding rebellion to their sin. They that had so often quarrelled with Christ for works of the greatest mercy on that day, were themselves busied in a work of the greatest malice. Observe here,

(1.) Their address to Pilate; they were vexed that the body was given to one that would bury it decently; but, since it must be so, they desire a guard may be set on the sepulchre.

[1.] Their petition sets forth, that that deceiver (so they call him who is truth itself) had said, After three days I will rise again. He had said so, and his disciples remembered those very words for the confirmation of their faith, but his persecutors remember them for the provocation of their rage and malice. Thus the same word of Christ to the one was a savour of life unto life, to the other of death unto death. See how they compliment Pilate with the title of Sir, while they reproach Christ with the title of Deceiver. Thus the most malicious slanderers of good men are commonly the most sordid flatterers of great men.

[2.] It further sets forth their jealousy; lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say, He is risen.

First, That which really they were afraid of, was, his resurrection; that which is most Christ's honour and his people's joy, is most the terror of his enemies. That which exasperated Joseph's brethren against him, was the presage of his rise, and of his having dominion over them (Gen. xxxvii. 8); and all they aimed at, in what they did against him, was, to prevent that. Come, say they, let us slay him, and see what will become of his dreams. So the chief priests and Pharisees laboured to defeat the predictions of Christ's resurrection, saying, as David's enemies of him (Ps. xli. 8), Now that he lieth, he shall rise up no more; if he should rise, that would break all their measures. Note, Christ's enemies, even when they have gained their point, are still in fear of losing it again. Perhaps the priests were surprised at the respect shown to Christ's dead body by Joseph and Nicodemus, two honourable counsellors, and looked upon it as an ill presage; nor can they forget his raising Lazarus from the dead, which so confounded them.

Secondly, That which they took on them to be afraid of, was, lest his disciples should come by night, and steal him away, which was a very improbable thing; for, 1. They had not the courage to own him while he lived, when they might have done him and themselves real service; and it was not likely that his death should put courage into such cowards. 2. What could they promise themselves by stealing away his body, and making people believe he was risen; when, if he should not rise, and so prove himself a deceiver, his disciples, who had left all for him in this world, in dependence upon a recompence in the other world, would of all others suffer most by the imposture, and would have had reason to throw the first stone at his name? What good would it do them, to carry on a cheat upon themselves, to steal away his body, and say, He is risen; when, if he were not risen, their faith was vain, and they were of all men the most miserable? The chief priests apprehend that if the doctrine of Christ's resurrection be once preached and believed, the last error will be worse than the first; a proverbial expression, intimating no more than this, that we shall all be routed, all undone. They think it was their error, that they had so long connived at his preaching and miracles, which error they thought they had rectified by putting him to death; but if people should be persuaded of his resurrection, that would spoil all again, his interest would revive with him, and theirs must needs sink, who had so barbarously murdered him. Note, Those that opposed Christ and his kingdom, will see not only their attempts baffled, but themselves miserably plunged and embarrassed, their errors each worse than other, and the last worst of all, Ps. ii. 4, 5.

[3.] In consideration hereof, they humbly move to have a guard set upon the sepulchre till the third day; Command that the sepulchre be made sure. Pilate must still be their drudge, his civil and military power must both be engaged to serve their malice; one would think that death's prisoners needed no other guard, and that the grave were security enough to itself; but what will not those fear, who are conscious to themselves both of guilt and impotency, in opposing the Lord and his anointed?

(2.) Pilate's answer to this address (v. 65); He have a watch, make it sure, as sure as you can. He was ready to gratify Christ's friends, in allowing them the body, and his enemies, in setting a guard upon it, being desirous to please all sides, while perhaps he laughed in his sleeve at both for making such ado, pro and con, about the dead body of a man, looking upon the hopes of one side and the fears of the other to be alike ridiculous. Ye have a watch; he means the constant guard that was kept in the tower of Antonia, out of which the allows them to detach as many as they pleased for that purpose, but, as if ashamed to be himself seen in such a thing, he leaves the management of it wholly to them. Methinks that word, Make it as sure as you can, looks like a banter, either, [1.] Of their fears; "Be sure to set a strong guard upon the dead man;" or rather, [2.] Of their hopes; "Do your worst, try your wit and strength to the utmost; but if he be of God, he will rise, in spite of you and all your guards." I am apt to think, that by this time Pilate had had some talk with the centurion, his own officer, of whom he would be apt to enquire how that just man died, whom he had condemned with such reluctance; and that he gave him such an account of those things as made him conclude that truly he was the Son of God; and Pilate would give more credit to him than to a thousand of those spiteful priests that called him a Deceiver; and if so, no marvel that he tacitly derides their project, in thinking to secure the sepulchre upon him who had so lately rent the rocks, and made the earth to quake. Tertullion, speaking of Pilate, saith, Ipse jam pro suâ conscientiâ Christianus—In his conscience he was a Christian; and it is possible that he might be under such convictions at this time, upon the centurion's report, and yet never be thoroughly persuaded, any more than Agrippa or Felix was, to be a Christian.

(3.) The wonderful care they took, hereupon, to secure the sepulchre (v. 66); They sealed the stone; probably with the great seal of their sanhedrim, whereby they interposed their authority, for who durst break the public seal? But not trusting too much to that, withal they set a watch, to keep his disciples from coming to steal him away, and, if possible, to hinder him from coming out of the grave. So they intended, but God brought this good out of it, that they who were set to oppose his resurrection, thereby had an opportunity to observe it, and did so, and told the chief priests what they observed, who were thereby rendered the more inexcusable. Here was all the power of earth and hell combined to keep Christ a prisoner, but all in vain, when his hour was come; death, and all those sons and heirs of death, could then no longer hold him, no longer have dominion over him. To guard the sepulchre against the poor weak disciples, was folly, because needless; but to think to guard it against the power of God was folly, because fruitless and to no purpose; and yet they thought they had dealt wisely.

CHAP. XXVII.

Verse 1. When the morning was come] THey had broken their sleep the night afore: and yet were up and at it early the next morning, so soon as the day peeped, Luke 22. 66. So sedulous are the Devils servants. Esau began [non-Latin text not transcribed] to bustle with Jacob even in the very womb, that no time might be lost.

Verse 2. And when they had bound him] Bound he had been before this (to loose the cords of our iniquities:) but belike they had loosed him again, to try if by fair means they could make [non-Latin text not transcribed]. him belye himself. So those Martyrs were tempted, Heb. 11. 37. And this was Iulians way of persecuting the Primitive Christians, as Nazianzen testifieth: persecutioni suae miscuit persuasionem; Nazianzen. ideo que fuit superioribus nocentior, & perniciosior. So Bonner, after he had allowed William Hunter Martyr, an half-peny a day in bread and drink in prison, perswaded with him saying: If thou wilt recant I will make thee a freeman in the city, and Act. and Mon. sol 1397. give thee fourty pounds in good mony, to set up thine occupation Ibid 1386. withall: or I will make thee steward of mine house, and set thee in office. So, to reduce D. Taylor Martyr, they promised him not only his pardon, but a bishoprick.

Verse 3. Then Iudas which had betrayed him] Might not Iedu have sang care away, now that he had both the bag and the price of blood, but he must come and betray himself? Whiles he playd alone, he wonne all: but soon after, his own wickednesse corrected him, and his backslidings reproved him. Sin will surelyJer. 2. 19. prove evill and bitter, when the bottom of the bag is once turned upward. A man may have the stone, who feels no fit of it. Conscience will work once: though, for the time, one may feel no fit of accusation: Laban shewed himself at parting. Knowest2 Sam. 13. [illegible: 1 word]. thou not that there will be bitternesse in the latter end? But [illegible: 1 word] devil deals with men as the Panther doth with the beasts; he [illegible: 1 word] his deformed head, till his sweet sent have drawn them into his danger. Till we have sinned, Satan is a parasite: when we have sinned he is a tyrant. But it is good to consider that of Bernard. [illegible: 1 line] At the day of judgement, a pure conscience shall better bestead one then a full purse. When he saw that he was condemned] He hoped, belike, that Christ would, as at other times he did, have delivered [illegible: 1 word] by [illegible: 1 word] miracle. Let no man flatter himself, as if there were no such hurt in sinne; for, like dirty dogs, it doth but defile us in fawning: and like a treacherous Host, though it welcome us into the [illegible: 1 word] with [illegible: 1 word] countenance, yet it will cut our throats in our beds. He repented] That is, he changed his minde, from thinking [illegible: 1 line] well of his former actions. So those miscreants in Malachi are said to return and discern, &c. [illegible: 1 word]. 3. 18. So [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 line] Duke of Suevia, when, at the Popes instigation, taking up arms against Henry the Emperour, he had lost his right hand in the battel,Hic [illegible: 1 word] ille [illegible: 1 word] Papa [illegible: 5 words], [illegible: 3 words], [illegible: 2 words]. he sent for his Bishops, and other his confederates and said unto them: Loe this is that hand wherewith I swore that allegiance to my Soveraign, which by your means and motion I have [illegible: 1 word]. Videte an rectà viâ me duxeritis, &c Consider whether you have [illegible: 1 word] me on in a right way or not. And brought again the thirty peeces] So did Iames Abbes bring to the Bishop of Norwich, his forty [illegible: 1 word] fastened upon him by the Bishop: which when he had [illegible: 1 word] (saith [illegible: 1 word] Fox) and was gon from the Bishop, who had prevailed with him to recant, his conscience began to throb, and inwardly to accuse this fact, how he had displeased the Lord, by [illegible: 1 word] to [illegible: 2 words] illusions. In which combat with himself, being [illegible: 2 words], he went to the Bishop again, and there threw him his mony [illegible: 1 word] and [illegible: 1 word]. [illegible: 1 word]. [illegible: 1 word]. and said, It repented him that he ever consented to their wicked perswasions in taking of his mony. Hereupon the Bishop with his Chaplains laboured afresh to winne him again. But he was better resolved, and crying out to God for [illegible: 1 word] of his sinne (which Iudas did not) he obtained mercy, and suffered [illegible: 1 word].

Verse 4, I have sinned, &c.] Here was [illegible: 1 word], Confession, Restitution (most men go not so far, that [illegible: 3 words] hopes of heaven) there was wanting that [illegible: 1 word], Conversion, Obedience of faith that should have completed his repentance. He died in the birth, as that foolish childe Ephraim. He confessed to men, and not to God: and by his confession he sought no more then to ease his heart, as drunkards by vomitingMelanct in Chronico p. 5. rid their stomacks. So Latomus of Lovain confessed inter horrendos [illegible: 1 word], se contra conscientiam adver satum esse veritati, roaring and crying out, that against his [illegible: 1 word] he had persecuted the truth of God. In trouble of minde all will out. Conscience, like Samsons wife, conceals not the riddle: like Fulvia a whorish woman, [illegible: 1 word] in bel. Catil. who declared all the secrets of her foolish lover Cneius a noble Roman. What is that to us? See thou to that] Miserable comforters, Physitians of no value. To him that is afflicted pity should be shewed from his friend: but he for saketh the fear of the Almighty. The devilJob 6. 14. and his imps love to bring men into the briers, and there leave them: as familiar devils forsake their witches, when they have brought them once into fetters. Thus the old Bethelite, that had been at pains to fetch back the Prophet, would not go back with him. Thus the Papists burnt Cranmer recanting, and the present Prelates cast off their great Antisabbatarian White, when they had served their turns on him. David when he was hunted from Samuel the Prophet, he fled to Ahimelech the Priest: as one that knew that justice and compassion should dwell in those brests that are consecrated to God. But Judas met with no such matter in the Priests of his time. Those mischievous men left him, when they had led him to his bane.

Verse 5. And he cast down the pieces of silver] That wages of wickednesse burnt in his purse, in his conscience; neither could it secure him in the day of wrath. See Zeph. 1. 18. Ezek. 7. 19. Obad. [illegible: 1 word]. Jam. 4. 1, 2. Omnia fui, & nihil mihi profuit, said Severus the Emperour, when he lay a dying. Most of the Emperours [illegible: 1 word] nothing by their advancement to the Empire, whereof they were so ambitious, but this, Vt citiùs interficerentur, that they were slain the sooner. All or most of them, till Constantine, died unnaturall deaths. Achans wedge of gold served but to cleave asunder his soul from his body; and the Babylonish garment but for a shroud. And went and hang'd himself] If you confesse your felf to a Priest, and not to God, said that Martyr, you shall have the reward Act. and Mon. [illegible: 1 word]. 1538. that Judas had. For he confessed himself to a Priest, and yet went and [illegible: 1 word] himself by and by. So did Pavier, TownClark of London, in Henry the eights time, who had before sworn a great [illegible: 1 word], That if the Kings [illegible: 1 word] would set forth the Scripture in English, and let it be read of the people by his [illegible: 1 word], rather then he would so long live, he would cut his own [illegible: 1 word]. But he brake promise: for shortly after he hang'd Ibid. 962. [illegible: 1 word]. [illegible: 2 words] the same time Foxford, Chancellour to the [illegible: 1 word] of London, a cruell persecutour and butcher of the Saints, [illegible: 2 words] in his chair, his belly being burst, and his guts falling Ibid. 962. out before him; as likewise Judas his did, Cum [illegible: 1 word] singularicrepitus fragore, as the word imports, Act. 1. 18. [illegible: 1 word] [non-Latin text not transcribed] [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word]. Christ. [illegible: 1 word], [illegible: 1 word] makes mention of a covetous Bishop of Misna in Germany, who had the devil for his deathsman: And D. Morton, late Bishop of Durham, reports a story of his own knowledge,Institut. of the [illegible: 1 word]. l. 5. cap. 3. [illegible: 1 word] 5. of one Sir Booth, a bachelour of Arts in S. Iohns Colledge in Cambridge, who being Popishly affected, took the [illegible: 1 word] bread at the time of the Communion; and forbearing to eat it, conveyed and kept it closely for a time, and afterwards threw it over the Colledge wall. But, a short time after, not enduring the torment of his guilty [illegible: 1 word], he threw himself headlong over the battlements of the Chappel, and some few hours after ended his life. The spirit of a man may sustain his infirmity: some shift or other a man may make to [illegible: 3 words] calamities: But a wounded spirit who can bear? [illegible: 1 word] 18 14. [illegible: 1 word] no fighting with a mighty fire, no bearing up [illegible: 1 word] storm. Iob when once wet to the skin, [illegible: 1 word] the day of his birth, and thinketh it better to be strangled or hanged, then longer to endure it.Job 7. 15. And yet God was but in [illegible: 1 word], as it were, with Iob, in comparison of Iudas.

Verse 6. It is not lawfull, &c.] They would not suffer the price of bloud to lie in a chest; but the bloud it self they could well enough suffer to lie in their consciences. So our modern Pharisees (the Popish Prelates) will not be present when the Martyrs are condemned to death, but have an hypocriticall form of interceding for them to the secular powers, when as they themselves have delivered them up to the Judges to be executed, [illegible: 1 word] suis praejudiciis damnarunt, as one speaketh, having [illegible: 2 words], excommunicated and adjudged them worthy of death.

Verse 7. To bury strangers in] Romans and others, with whom they would have nothing common, no not so much as a buriall place, Isa. 65. 4, 5. God [illegible: 1 word] of a people that remain among the graves, and lodge in the monuments; which say, stand by thy self, come not near to me, for I am holier then thou, &c. sick [illegible: 1 word] were of a Noli me tangere, strict in [illegible: 1 word], [illegible: 1 word] of foulAdricom Th. ter sanct. sinnes. There are that tell us, that the nature of this Potters field is such, as, if a strangers body be laid in it, it consumes it to theMedit for the [illegible: 1 word] week, by N [illegible: 1 word]. bone in four and twenty hours; which it doth not to the body of any Jew. This, if it be true, saith one, it seems God would have the earth thus markt to preserve the memory of the bloudy mony, by which it was purchased: and therefore he gave it a vertue to consume strangers bodies ere they could corrupt, refusing the Jews; to shew how they had lost their priviledge to their own land, by crucifying their Lord, and strangers began to be possest of it. Also, to teach us, that his hope is nearest incorruption, who is the greatest stranger from the sin of the Jews, that is, [illegible: 1 word] Christ.

Verse 8. Was called the field of bloud] Not the buriall-place for strangers, as they would have had it called (thinking thereby to have gotten [illegible: 1 word] an eternall commendation, for their love and liberality to strangers) but the field of bloud (so the Vulgar would needs call it, much against these Masters mindes) for a lasting monument of their detestable [illegible: 1 word], which they thought to have carried so cleanly, that the world should have [illegible: 1 word] never the wiser; and therefore they would not [illegible: 1 word] Christ themselves, as they did Steven; but, to decline the envy, delivered him up [illegible: 1 word] Pilate to be put to death. It is hard if hypocrites be not, by one means or other, detected: how else should their names rot?

Verse 9. Then was fulfilled] Those blinde Pharisees not only observed not the sayings of the Prophets which they daily read, but un wittingly also fulfilled them. By Ieremy the Prophet] Indeed by Zachary the Prophet: but either [illegible: 1 word] had two severall names (as was ordinary among that people) or else what [illegible: 1 word] had preached. [illegible: 1 word] long after [illegible: 1 word] to writing, as did likewise Obadiah, &c. The price of him that was valued] A goodly price [illegible: 1 word] there upon God, for all his pastorall pains with that perverse people: and [illegible: 1 word] upon Christ (who is hereby proved to be God) for all his inestimable worth, and incomparable love to lost man-kinde. If we be at any time undervalued, as we are sure to be (for the world knows us not, 1 Ioh. 3. 2.) what so great a matter is it? Was not the Lord Christ infinitely underrated?

Verse 10. And gave them for the Potters field] To the Potter (saith Zachary) in the house of the Lord. What the Prophet sets down in short, and more obscurely, the Evangelist expounds, and applies to Christ the antitype. So true is that observation of Divines, that the old Testament is both explained and fulfilled in the new, by a happy harmony.

Verse 11. And Iesus stood before the Governour] The best therefore and most innocent may be brought before Magistrates, and accused of high treason, which ever was, as Lipsius observeth out of Tacitus, Vnicum crimen corum qui crimine vacabant. [illegible: 1 word] was held the Kings enemy. Ieremy laid by the heels for a [illegible: 1 word] to the State. Paul stiled a pest. Luther a trumpet of rebellion. Beza a seedsman of sedition, &c. Christs accusers here, shamelesly appeal him of matters that were evidently ntrue. This Pilate saw, and therefore sought so many waies to deliver him.

Verse 12. He answered nothing] Here the nimble Lawyer would have presently argued, as the Popes Legat did at the meeting of the Princes at Smalcaldia in Germany. He brought Letters from the Pope to the Electour of Saxony: and because the Electour gave [illegible: 1 word] Manl loc. com. p 406. him not a present answer, he inferred, Qui tacet consentire videtur. Melancthon, being by, made answer, Hoc est sophisticum, est regula juris, [illegible: 1 word] non valet inconjecturalibus. Nam dicit, videtur, & argumentum videtur, solvitur per non videtur. Christ therefore answered nothing, because they alledged nothing but notorious lies, and such as he saw well the Governour himselfe saw thorow, and therefore tried so many policies to set him free.

Verse 13. Hearest thou not? &c.] Yes, well enough: but there is a time, when a man should be as a deaf man that heareth not, and as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth. Ego [illegible: 1 word] Psal. 38. 13. Dominus, ut tu linguae, said he in Tacitus to his obstreperous adversary. If I cannot command thy tongue, yet I can command mine own ears. And the prudent will keep silence in an evil time, saith Amos. See the Note above, on Chap. 26. 62. Patience andAmos 5, 13. silence were Isaac's apology to Ishmael. Sile, & funestam dedisti [illegible: 1 word], saith Chrysostom.

Verse 14. The Governour marvelled,] That Christ should so betray his own cause, by an obstinate silence. But why marvelled he not as much at the impudency of the Priests, pressing such palpable untruths against him? He did no doubt: and yet against all equity, yeelded to their importunity. But [illegible: 1 word] not Magistrates be men of courage cuerdelions? Solomons throne was supported by lions; to shew what manner of men such should be, as sit in places of judicature.

Verse 15. The Governour was wont] In remembrance, say some, of their deliverance from the AEgyptian bondage. A [illegible: 1 word] it was, and therefore obtained; but an evil custome, and therefore should better have been abrogated. Custome without truth is but hoarinesse or mouldinesse of errour, saith one. And [illegible: 1 word] without [illegible: 1 word], is but antiquity of iniquity, saith another. A custome they have in Rome at this day, that if a Cardinall meet a condemned person going to execution, and put his hat on the malefactours head, he is thereby set free. I see no [illegible: 1 word]. sense for such a pardon. But the Inhabitants of Berne in [illegible: 1 word] gave a generall pardon to most of their prisoners, and called home their banished that same day, wherein the [illegible: 2 words] received and established amongst them. And they gave this [illegible: 3 words] usi. Scult. Annal. reason for it. Should some confederate Prince passe thorow our coasts, we should, for his sake, pardon our offenders, upon promise of amendment. Now, shall the King of Kings. the Sonne of God, and our dear brother, who hath done and suffered so much for us, come graciously unto us, and we not honour him this way also? Saul, for joy of his victory over the Ammonites, would not suffer such to be put to death, as had spoken treason against him: for to day (said he) the Lord hath wrought salvation 1 Sam. 11, 13. in Israel, &c.

Verse 16. A notable prisoner, called Barabbas] That is, by interpretation his fathers sonne, his white son, his darling, his tidling, whom he had cockered and not crossed from his youth. Such children are oft undone, as Absolom, Amnon and Adoniah were by their parents indlgence. How many a Barabbas, brought to the gallows, blameth his fond father, and haply curseth him in hell?

Verse 17. Whom will ye that I release?] Pilate hoped they would never be so grossely wicked, as to prefer such a stigmaticall varlet. But why did he give them the liberty of such a choice? Why did he not rather (as Iob) break the jaws of the wicked, and pluck the spoil out of their teeth? Should not the standardJob [illegible: 1 word] 17. be made of hardest metals? the chief post of the house be heart of Oak? Was it not pusillanimity and popularity that missed [illegible: 1 word], and so muzzled him, that he could not contradict the many-headed multitude?

Verse 18. For he knew that for envy] His sinne was the greater for his knowledge, I am, 4. 17. Omne peccatum contra conscientiam, aedificat ad [illegible: 1 word], saith [illegible: 1 word]. When men imprison their light (that Prophet from God) Rem. 1. 18. and after conviction runne away with the bit in their mouths, as it were, they run without Gods greater mercy upon their utter ruine and destruction. Tostatus truly observeth, that Solomons idolatry was a sinne farre more sinfull then that of his wives; because [illegible: 1 word] knowledge.

Verse 19. [illegible: 1 word] wife sent unto him] There are that think that this womans dream was of the devil: thereby to have hindered the work of redemption by this composition. Satan and his agents, when they cannot conquer, would fain compound. [illegible: 1 word] will have it to be a divine dream, because it was sent, say they, Opus providenliae Dei: non ut solveretur Christus, sed ut [illegible: 1 word] uxor. Theophylact. for the better clearing of Christs innocency, even whiles he stood at the bar: yea for the salvation of this womans soul, as Theophylact is of opinion.

Verse 20. The chief Priests and Elders perswaded] And prevailed. See then how needfull it is that we pray for good governours; Ieroboam made Israel to sinne: Peter compelled the [illegible: 1 word] to Judaize, Gal. 2. 14. As the corruption of a fish begins at the head, and as in a beast the whole body followes the head: So are the people over-ruled by their Rulers.

Verse 21. They said, [illegible: 1 word] ] This mad choice is every day made, whiles men preferre the lusts of their flesh before the lives of their souls. In the present instance we may see, as in [illegible: 1 word] mirrour, the inconstancy of the common sort (who erst cryed Christ up for a Prophet, and would have crowned him [illegible: 6 words]. for a King) and the desperate madnesse of the Priests, Qui citiùs Diabolum ex inferno petivissent quam Iesum, as Pareus hath it; Who would have desired the devil of hell, rather then Jesus.

Verse 22. Let him be crucified.] He, whom [illegible: 1 word] they had little lesse then deified. See how soon evil company and counsell had altered them: like as Walnut-tree-roots imbitterAElian. var. hist. lib. 7. the roots of all the trees about them. Siquis obsequatur [illegible: 1 word], [illegible: 1 word] reddet [illegible: 1 word] temulentum Callias; si Alcibiadi, jactatorem: si Crobylo, coquum, &c. saith AElian. A man easily conformeth to his company.

Verse 23. Why? What evil hath he done?] Why? but if he have done no evil, wherefore doth not Pilate pronounce him innocent coutra gentes? And quit him by proclamation? which because he did not, but the contrary, was he not therefore, by a just judgement of God upon him, kickt off the bench, by the Emperour Tiberius? Judge Hales came to an evil end for crossingAct. and Mon. Englands Eliz. his conscience. And Judge Morgan, who gave the sentence of that peerlesse Lady [illegible: 1 word] Graies death, presently fell mad: and in all his distracted fits, cried out continually, Take away the Lady [illegible: 1 word], Take away the Lady Iane from me. It is reported of Nevessan, a better Lawyer then an honest man, that he should say: He that will not venture his body shall never be valiant: he that will not venture his soul, never rich.

Verse 24. He took water] Too weak an element to wash off guilt [illegible: 1 word] which is not purged but by the bloud of Christ, or fire of hell. And washt his hands] An old Ceremony, used, in this case, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. both by Jews (Deut. 21. 6, 7. Act. 18. 6.) and Gentiles, as the Scholiast upon Sophocles testifieth. And it was as much as to say, the guilt of innocent bloud doth no more stick to my conscience, then the filth now washed off, doth to my fingers. Sed quid hoc est, [illegible: 1 word] one? Manus abluit Pilatus, & cor polluit. O Ierusalem, wash thy heart from wickednesse, saith the Prophet. God and nature begin at the heart. And, Cleanse your hands, ye sinners, butJer 4 14. withall, Purifie your hearts, ye double-minded, saith the Apostle.Jam. 4. 8. The very Turks, before praier, wash both face and hands, Blunts voyage. pag. 100. sometimes the head and privities. But bodily exercise only profiteth little. See ye to it] See thou to that, said they to Iudas, vers. 4. See ye to it, saith Pilate to them: With what measure ye mete it shall be measured to you again, Mat. 7. 2. They are paid in their own coyn, their own very words, by a just judgement of God, are regested upon them.

Verse 25. His bloud be on us, and on, &c.] God said Amen to this woefull curse, which cleaves close to them and their posterity, as a girdle to their loins, soaking as oil into their bones to this very day, Psal. 109. 18, 19. Thirty eight years after this fearfull imprecation, in the same place, and close by the same tribunall where they thus cried out, His bloud be on us, &c. Historians tell us, that Herod, wanting money, demanded of the Jews so much out of their treasury, as would pay for the making of a water-course. But the Jews, supposing it a needlesse work, not only denied him, but gave many out-ragious and spitefull speeches, tumultuously flockt about him, and with great clamours prest upon him, even as he was in his seat. Whereupon to prevent mischief, he sent to his souldiers to apparrel themselves like Citizens, and under their gowns to bring with them a [illegible: 1 word] or ponyard, and mingle themselves amongst the multitude; which they did, observing who they were that made the greatest uproar. [illegible: 1 word]. [illegible: 1 word], p. 30. And when Herod gave the sign, they fell upon them, and slew a great multitude. Many also, for fear of losse or danger killed themselves: besides others, which seeing this massacre, [illegible: 1 word] treason among themselves, fell one upon another. What a dispersed and despised people they are ever since, exiled, as it were, out of the world, by the common consent of all Nations, for their inexpiable guilt. See my True Treasure, Chap. 7. Sect. 2. And beware by their example of wishing evil to our selves or others, as our desperate God, damn-me's do at every third word almost, and God will undoubtedly take them at their words, as he did those wretches, that wished they might die in the wildernesse, Numb. 14. 28. As he did John Peters, the cruell Keeper of Newgate in Queen Maries daies: who commonly when Act. and Mon. [illegible: 1 word]. [illegible: 1 word]. he would affirm any thing, were it true or false, used to say, If it be not true, I pray God I rot ere I die, and he had his desire. So had Sir Gervaise Ellowaies. Lieutenant of the Tower, hang'd in our remembrance on Tower-hill, for being [illegible: 1 word] to the poisoning of Sir Thomas Overbury: who being upon the Gallows, confest it was just upon him, for that he had oft in his playing at cards and dice wished, That he might be hang'd, if it were not so Joh Manl. [illegible: 1 word] com p. 192 and so. In the year, 1551. the devil in a visible shape lifted up a cursing woman into the air in Germany; and therehence threw her down, in the view of many people, and [illegible: 1 word] her neck. Another brought her daughter to Luther, entreating his praiers for her, for that she was possessed by the devil, upon her cursing of her. For when she had said in a rage against her daughter, Involet Ibid. 228. in [illegible: 1 word] diabolus, The devil take thee, he took possession of her Ibid 229. accordingly. The same Authour relateth a like sad story of a stubborn son, cursed by his father, who wished he might never stirre alive from the place he stood in, and he stirred not for three years, &o. Cursing men are cursed men. Alterius perditio tua sit cautio. Seest thou another suffer shipwrack? look to thy tackling.

Verse 26. And when he had scourged Jesus] So [illegible: 1 word] satisfie their cruelty, and move them, if it might be, to pity. But though they relented not at the sight, it's fit we should. Would it not grieve us at the heart, if we should see the Kings son basely whipped by our adversaries, only for our affairs? Christ was scourged when we had offended, that he might free us from the sting of conscience, and those scourges and scorpions of eternall torments, that he might make us a plaister of his own blessed bloud: for by his [illegible: 1 word] medici factus est medicina phrene. tici. stripes we are healed, by the bloudy wails made upon his back we are delivered. We hold it a thing almost beyond belief, that the applying of medicines to the sword that wounded a man, shall make the wounds heal in a man. But here is a mystery that only Christian religion can tell of, and of which there never was president in nature, that the scourging and wounding of one man should cure another. See the Note, on Joh. 19. 1.

Verse 27. Then the souldiers of the Governour] Barbarous and brutish men, skilfull to destroy, Ezek. 21. 31. Let the young men arise and play before us, said Abner, 2 Sam. 2. 14. It is but a sport to souldiers to kill and put men to tormentfull ends. At the taking of Tripolis in Barbary, the Turkish souldiers, having in their hands one John de Chabos, a [illegible: 1 word]-man born in Daulphine, they brought him into the town: and when they had cut off [illegible: 1 word] hands and nose, they put him quick into the ground to the wast, and there, for their pleasure, shot at him with their arrows, and afterwards [illegible: 1 word]. [illegible: 1 word]. fol. 756. cut his throat. What insolencies and cruelties they exercised upon our Saviour for our sakes, even the whole band of them, we should read with regret for our sins, the weapons and instruments of all his sufferings; and see thorow his wounds the naked bowels, as it were, of his love to our poor souls.

Verse 28. And they stripped him] That we might be cloathed with the rich and royall raiment of [illegible: 1 word] righteousnesse, that fleece of the Lamb of God, who [illegible: 1 word] away, &c. And put on him a scarlet robe] Ore worn and threed-[illegible: 1 word] no doubt: so to set him forth as an historicall King, in [illegible: 1 word] of him: but the Kingdom of Christ came not by observation. He is an obscure King, as Melchisedeeh was, but yet a King, as he told [illegible: 1 word], and this was that good confession witnessed by him, and celebrated by S. Paul, 1 Tim. 6. 13.

Verse 29. And when they had platted a crown, &c.] Christ, by wearing this crown of thorns, the first-fruits of the curse, took away the sin and curse of all his people: who must therefore, by their obedience set a crown of gold on his head, Cant. 3. 11. as [illegible: 1 word] in his superstitious way [illegible: 1 word] his crown upon the crucifix. See the Note on [illegible: 1 word]. 19 2. And a reed in his right-hand] So do all those still, that submit not to the scepter of his kingdom, that give him not full [illegible: 1 word] over their souls. Bowed the knee before him] With ludibrious devotion: So do hypocrites to this day. King Richard the second, when he was to be deposed, was brought forth in royall array, whereof he [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word]. [illegible: 1 word]. was presently despoiled. Never was Prince so gorgeous with [illegible: 1 word] glory, and more grief. [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word].

Verse 30. And they spit upon him] So doth [illegible: 1 word] still cast dirt and drivell into Christs face. See the [illegible: 1 word] on Chap. 26. 67. Robert Smith, Martyr, in his examination before Bonner, made one of his Doctours to say, that his breaden god must needs enter into the belly, and so [illegible: 1 word] into the draught. To which he answered: What derogation was it to Christ, when the Jews spit in his face? Smith presently replied, If the Jews, being his enemies, Act. and [illegible: 1 word]. [illegible: 1 word]. 15 30. did but spit in his face, and we, being his friends, throw him into the draught, which of us deserveth the greatest damnation? [non-Latin text not transcribed]. And [illegible: 1 word] him on the head] [illegible: 1 word] into the head: drove the [illegible: 1 word] into his holy head with bats and blows, as Basiliades the Duke of Russia, nail'd an Embassadours hat to his head, upon some displeasure conceived against him. At the taking of Heydelberg, the Spaniards took Monsieur Mylius, an ancient Minister [illegible: 4 words], [illegible: 1 word]. [illegible: 1 word]. and man of God, and having abused his daughter before his [illegible: 1 word]; they tied a small cord about his head, which with truncheons Act. [illegible: 2 words]. [illegible: 1 word]. 874. they wreathed about, till they squeezed out his brains. The Monks of [illegible: 1 word] roasted the Minister of S. Germain, till his eyes dropt out. And the Spaniards suppose they shew the innocent Indians great favour, when they do not, for their pleasure,S. Fr. Drakes travels, [illegible: 1 word]. 53. whip them with cords, scratch them with thorns, and day by day drop their naked bodies with burning bacon. So very a devil is one man to another.

Verse 31. Put his own raiment on him] Gods hand was in this, that all men seeing him to suffer in his own habit, might acknowledge that it was very he, and not another that suffered in his stead. Mahomet in his Alchoran speaks very honourably of Christ, except only in two things. 1. He took up the Arrian heresie, to deny his Deity. 2. He denied that he was crucified, but that some one was crucified for him. But what saith S. Peter? He his own self bare our sinnes in his own body on the tree, &c. 1 Pet. 2. 24. They led him away] Quite out of the City, Ut vera piaculavis victima & [non-Latin text not transcribed] pro nobis fieret, Heb. 13. 12, 13. This was a mystery hardly understood by any of the faithfull afore Christ: neither could we well have told what to make of it, but that the [illegible: 1 word] hath there opened it to us, by the instinct of the holy Ghost. Let us therefore (as he adviseth) goe forth unto Act. 5. 41. him without the camp, bearing his reproach, accounting it our Est & consu, on is gloria, & gloriosa consusio. Ambr. crown, as those Apostles did that rejoyced in their new dignity of [illegible: 2 words] shame for Christs name. It was their grace to be so disgraced.

Verse 32. They found a man of Cyrene] A stranger, coming out of the field towards Jerusalem, meets with an unexpected [illegible: 1 word], and follows Christ, which occasioned him to enquire into the cause, and got him renown among the Saints. In like sort, the faithfull Christian (a stranger upon earth) comes out of the field of this world, with his face set toward Sion; and meets with many crosses by the way. But all-while he follows Christ, let him enquire into the cause, and the issue shall be glorious. Him they compelled to bear his crosse] Not so much to ease Christ, who fainted under the burden, as to hasten the execution, and to keep him alive till he came to it. See the Note on Joh 19. 17.

Verse 33. A place of a skull] Here our thrice noble Conquerour would erect his trophies to encourage us to [illegible: 1 word] for him, if God call us thereto, in the most vile and loathsom places, as also to assure us that his death is life to the dead.

Verse 34 They gave him vineger, &c.] Cold comfort to a dying man; but they did it in [illegible: 1 word], q. d. Thou art a King, and must have generous wines. Here's for thee therefore. See the Note on John 19. 29. It were happy if this vineger given our Saviour, might melt our adamantine hearts into sorrow.

Verse 35. Parted his garments] Let us likewise suffer with [illegible: 1 word] the spoiling of our goods, &c. Heb. 10. 34. yea, the spoiling of our persons, to have our clothes also taken and torn off [illegible: 1 word] backs: Christ will say, Bring forth the best robe, ring, &c. If a Heathen could say, when he saw a suddain shipwrack of all his wealth, Well fortune, I see thy intent, thou wouldst have me be a Philosopher: Should not a Christian conclude, Surely Christ would have me look after heavenly, that thus strips me of all earthly comforts?

Verse 36. They watched him there] Lest haply he should get get away thence by a [illegible: 1 word]. But his time of getting out of their hands was not yet come. Here hung for a while that golden censer Christs body; which through the holes that were made in it, as thorow chinks or holes, fumed forth a sweet savour in the nostrils of his heavenly Father, Eph. 5. 2. such as draweth all men to him, that have their senses exercised to discern good and evil, Joh. 12. 32, Heb. 5. 14.

Verse 37. This is Jesus, the King of the Jews] Pilate (by a speciall providence of God) intending nothing [illegible: 1 word], gives Christ a testimoniall, and would not alter it, though sollicited thereto. He did it to be revenged on the Jews for their senslesse importunity to have him condemn an innocent, and withall, to [non-Latin text not transcribed] [illegible: 5 words]. put Christ to an open shame, as a crucified King. Like as that A theist Lucian, blasphemously cals our Saviour, The crucified cousener, the modern Jews contemptuously call him (in reference to his crosse) The Woofe and the Warp. And, at the sack of Constantinople, the Image of the Crucifix was set up by the insolent Turks, and shot at with their arrows: and afterwards in great [illegible: 1 word] carried about the Camp, as it had been in procession, those dead dogs railing and spitting at it, and calling it, The God of the Christians. Ten thousand Martyrs were crucified in the Mount of Ararath under Adrian the [illegible: 1 word], [illegible: 1 word] hist. fel. [illegible: 1 word]. crowned with thorns, and thrust into the sides with sharp darts, in contempt of Christ. [illegible: 1 word]. and Mon.

Verse 38. Then were there two theeves] So he was reckoned among the transgressours, Isa. 53. 12. A sinner, not by [illegible: 1 word] only, for he bare the sinne of many (ib.) but by reputation also,Quasi [illegible: 1 word]. [illegible: 1 word] rex [illegible: 1 word]. and therefore crucified in the midst (as the worst of the three, chief of sinners) that we might have place in the midst of heavenly Angels, in those walks of paradise, Zach. 3. 7. The one of those two theeves went railing to hell (his crucifixion being [illegible: 1 word] a typicall hell to him, a trap-dore to eternall torment) the other went repenting forth-right to heaven, living long in a little time, and by his praier making his crosse a Jacobs ladder, whereby. Angels descended to fetch up his soul. It is remarkable, and to our purpose sutable, that Rabus reporteth, that when Leonard Caesar suffered Martyrdom at Rappa, a little town in Bavaria, a certain Priest, that had by the law for some villainous act deserved death, being led forth with him towards the place of execution, cried out often, Ego ne quidem dignus sum, qui tibi in hac poena associer, justo injustus. I am not worthy to suffer with thee, the just with the unjust.

Verse 39. Reviled him, wagging their heads] God took notice of Cains frowns, Gen. 4. 6. Miriams mutterings, Numb. 12. 2. these mens noddings, Rabshakeh's lofty looks, Isa. 37. 23. [illegible: 1 word] lowrings, Gen. 31. 2. and sets them upon record. He is jealous for Ierusalem with a great jealousie. Zac. 1. 14. (and jealousie is very wakeful, hardly shall the sly paramour avoid the husbands eye) if he see any indignity offered to his beloved spouse, he will arise and play Phineas his part, as that Martyr said. The virgin daughter of Sion, though she be but a virgin, hath a champion that will not see nor [illegible: 1 word] her to be abused, Isa. 37. 22. See how he revileth her [illegible: 1 word], Isa. 57. 3, 4. But draw neer hither, ye sons of the [illegible: 1 word], the seed of the adulierer and the whore, Against whom do ye sport your selves? Against whom make ye a wide mouth, and draw out the tongue? Are ye not children of transgression, a seed of falshood? Yea he giveth encouragement to his Spouse, in an holy scorn to despise and derideIsa. 37. 22, 23. her deriders, shaking her head at them, [illegible: 1 word] they do at her, and saying, Whom hast thou [illegible: 1 word] hed and blasphemed? &c. q d. Dost thou know what thou hast done? &c.

Verse 40. And saying, Thou that &c.] Dogs will be barking at the Moon (as these dead dogs do here at the [illegible: 1 word] of righteousnes,) At peragit cursus [illegible: 1 word] Diana suos. [illegible: 1 word] goes on with the work, nothing retarded by their jears and buffoneries. Didicit ille maledicere & ego contemnere, said he in Tacitus, Non tantum habemus etij. P C. said Augustus to the Senate.Die in Aug. when they informed him of what such and such had said against him, we are not at leasure to listen to every slight slander raised of us. And of Severus the Emperour it is recorded, that his care [non-Latin text not transcribed]. [illegible: 1 word]. was, what was to be done by him, not what was said or censured of him. Do well and hear ill, is written upon heaven gates, said that Martyr. Railers are to be reckoned kill-Christs: words may more afflict then blows, Psal. 42. 3, 10. As with a murthering weapon in my bones, &c.

Verse 41. Likewise also the chief Priests] Sick of an [non-Latin text not transcribed] the devils disease, they petulantly insult over our dying Saviour, with their Satanicall sarcasmes: which he answereth with silence, and by a brave composednesse sets himself above the slight of the injurious claw. Facile est in me dicere, cum non sim responsurus, saith one. It is as impossible to avoid, as necessary to contemn the lash of leud tongues, bitter tongues, and scurrilous invectives. Those ears that were wont to hear nothing but Angelicall hymnes, are here filled with them, and he replyes not. Princes use not to chide when Embassadours offer them undecencies, but deny them audience.

Verse 42. We will beleeve him] They would not: but rather have said, he had done it by the devils help; or have searched the deyils skull to finde out some other trick, to elude the truth.

Verse 43. He trusted in God] These were cruell mockings, as those were called, Heb. 11. 36. Nothing troubled David more then to be hit in the teeth with his God: to have his Religion laid in his dish, Psal. 42. & 43. And it went to Jobs heart to hear his friend Eliphaz (a godly man otherwise,) scoffe him for his Religion, Job 4. 6. Is not thy fear (or thy Religion) become thy folly? Zeackiah feared more to be mocked of the Jews, then the Caldees, Jer. 38. 9. Let him deliver him now] But what if he do not deliver him now, is he therefore no sonne? So they would seem to argue: and so Satan would fain perswade the Saints when [illegible: 1 word] a while under the crosse. But the Apostle assures us otherwise, Heb. 12. 6, 7, 8. See my Love-tokens.

Verse 44. The theeves also] Both of them railed at first, till one of them was converted by a miracle (for it was one of those seven miracles wherewith Christ would honour the ignominy of his crosse.) Till then either they both reviled our Saviour, or the better of them seemed, at least by his silence, for a season to consent to the other. In whose example we see, that every fool hath a bolt, to shoot at afflicted godlinesse. Every curre is ready to fall upon the dog that he seeth worried: and every passenger to pull a branch from a tree that is felled. But there is no small cruelty in composing comedies out of the tragedyes of the Church: and so, to draw blood from that back which is yet blue from the [illegible: 1 word]. 13. hand of the Almighty. God threatneth Edom for but looking upon Jacobs affliction in the day of their calamity.

Verse 45. Darknesse over all the land] The Sun hid his headSol non sert aspectun illum uni [illegible: 1 word], [illegible: 1 word] fine [illegible: 1 word] & [illegible: 4 words]. in a mantle of black, as ashamed to behold those base indignities done to the Sonne of righteousnesse, by the sons of men. This darknesse some think was universall: not only over all the land of Jury, but over the whole earth (and so the text may be rendered.) Tiberius, say they, was sensible of it at Rome: Dionysius A [illegible: 1 word]. writes to Polycarpus, that they had it in Egypt. And another [non-Latin text not transcribed]. great Astronomer Ptolomy (if I mistake not) was so amazed at it, that he pronounced, either nature now determineth, or the God of nature suffereth. Unto the ninth hour] In this three-houres darknesse he was set upon by all the powers of darknesse, with utmost might and malice. But he foyled and spoiled them all, and made an open shew of them (as the Romane Conquerours used to do) triumphing over them on his crosse, as on his chariot of state, Colos. 2. 15 attended by his vanquished enemies, with their hands bound behinde them, Eph. 48.

Verse 46. Jesus [illegible: 1 word] with a loud voice] Therefore he laid down his life at his own pleasure: for by his loud outcry it appears, that he could have lived longer, if he had listed, for any decay of nature under those exquisite torments that he suffered in his body, but much greater in his soul. That which for the present seems to have expressed from him this dolefull complaint was, the sense of his Fathers wrath in the darkning of the body of the Sunne over him: which though God causeth to shine upon the just and unjust for their comfort, yet was not suffered to shine upon him, for those three sorrowfull hours together. When Theedorus the Martyr was racked and tortured by the command of [illegible: 1 word]. [illegible: 1 word]. Iulian the Apostate, an Angell, in the forme of a young man, stood by him and comforted him, wiping off his sweat with a fine linen cloth, and powring cold water on his vexed limmes. When Mr Saunders Martyr was examined before Steven Winchester, he felt a most pleasant refreshing issuing from every part of his body to his heart, and from thence ebbing and flowing to each part again. William Hunten Martyr cryed out at the stake, Act. and Mon. fol. 13[illegible: 1 letter]8. Sonne of God shine upon me, and immediately the Sun shone out of a darke cloud so full in his face, that he was constrained to look another way: whereat the people mused, because it was so dark Ibid 1398. a little before. And I my self was an eye-witnesse of a like answer returned from heaven, to a like prayer made by a penitent malefactour executed at Evesham in Worcestershier, many [non-Latin text not transcribed] [illegible: 1 word] plus quam [non-Latin text not transcribed] [illegible: 2 words] quam derelinquere. years since. But our Lord Christ was forsaken of all these creature-comforts: and (which was worse then all) of his Fathers favour to his present apprehension; left forelorne and destitute for a time, that we might be received for ever. Howbeit, perplexed though he were, yet not in despair; persecuted, yet not2 Cor 4. 8, [illegible: 1 letter]. forsaken, cast down, yet not destroyed. He could say My God in the [non-Latin text not transcribed] midst of all, by the force of his faith, which individuateth God (as a Father saith,) and appropriateth him to a mans self. And Hilary hath a good note, which here comes in, not out of place. Habes conquerentem relictum se esse, quia homo est: habes eundem profitentem Latroni in paradiso regnaturum, quia Deus est: As man he cryes out My God, my God, &c when, as God, he promiseth paradise to the penitent theef.

Verse 47. This man calleth for Elias] A malicious mistake, a devilish sarcasme. Whiles darknesse was upon them, they werePsal. 32. 9. over-awed and husht; their mouths were haltered (as horsesMark 4 [illegible: 1 letter]9. must be, saith the Psalmist, as the sea was by our Saviour,) and [non-Latin text not transcribed]. held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee. But no sooner was it light again, but they are at their old trade again; deriding our Saviour and depraving his words, as if forsaken of his hope in God, he had fled to Elias for help: So when M[illegible: 2 letters]ch. Adam in vita Cranm. Cranmer, standing at the stake, cryed out often, Lord Jesu receive my spirit, a Spanish Monk that heard him, ran to a Noble-man there present and tells him, that those were the words of one that dyed in great despair.

Verse 48. And filled it with vineger] Sorrow is dry we say. This man of sorrows more to fulfill the Scriptures, then for his own satisfaction, though extream dry no doubt (for now was the Paschall lamb a roasting in the fire of his Fathers wrath) he saith, I thirst, and had vineger to drink: that we might drink of the water of life, and be sweetly inebriated in that torrent of pleasure that runs at Gods right hand for evermore, Psal. 16. 11. See the Note on Joh. 19. 29.

Verse 49. Let us see whether Elias, &c.] This mocking is the murther of the tongue, which therefore our Saviour suffered, ut nos illusori Satanae insultaremus, saith one. It is reported of Aretine, that by a longer custome of libellous and contumelious speaking against men, he had got such a habit, that at last he came to diminish and disesteem God himself. May not the same be made good of these malicious miscreants?

Verse 50. Yeelded up the Ghost] Or, let go his spirit, viz. to God that gave it, to whom also he recommended it, Luk. 23. 46. teaching us what to do in like case. Our care herein may make even a Centurion, a gracelesse person to glorifie God saying, Certainly this was a righteous man, vers. 47. When so great a clark as Erasmus dying with no better words in his mouth thenIoh. Ma[illegible: 3 letters] loc com. Domine fac finem, fac finem, is but hardly thought of. How much more that English Hubertus a covetous oppressour, who dying made this wretched will-paroll: I yeeld my goods to the King, my body to the grave, my soul to the devil?

Verse 51. The vail of the Temple was rent] To shew than there was an end of the Leviticall liturgy; and that now there was free and open accesse for all Saints to the throne of Gods grace, for the vail was a figure of the spirituall covering which was before the eyes of the Church till Christs coming. And the earth did quake] To work a heart-quake in the obstinate Jews, as in some it did: others of them had contracted such an habituall hardnesse, such a hoof upon their hearts, as neither ministry, nor misery, nor miracle, nor mercy, could possibly mollifie. And the rocks rent] So they do, wherever Christ makes forcible entrance into any heart. I will shake all nations, and then the desire of all nations shall come, Hag. 2. 7. A man will never truly desire Christ, till soundly shaken. Gods shaking ends in setling, he rents us, not to ruine, but to refine us.

Verse 52. And the graves were opened] To shew that death was now swallowed up in victory by life essentiall: like as the fire swallows up the fuell, and as Moses his serpent swallowed up the enchanted serpents. And many bodies of the Saints] To shew that the [illegible: 1 word], strings of death, which before bound them in their [illegible: 1 word], were now broken, and they enlarged to attend our Saviours resurrection.

Verse 53. And appeared unto many] Not to converse again, as heretofore, with men, but to accompany Christ, that raised them, into heaven; and to be as so many ocular [illegible: 1 word] of Christs quickning power, whereby he shall also raise our vile bodies, and conform them to his glorious body the standard, Phil. 3. ult.

Verse 54. Truly this was the Sonne of God] i.e. A divine [non-Latin text not transcribed] fine [illegible: 1 word], id est [illegible: 2 words]. [illegible: 1 word]. in loc. man, a de my-god, as these Heathens reputed those in whom they beheld and admired any thing above the ordinary nature of [illegible: 1 word], and their expectation. Naturall conscience cannot but stoop and do homage to the image of God stamped upon his people; as being afraid of that name of God whereby they are called, Deut. 28. 10. There are that think that these souldiers, our Saviours executioners, were truly converted by the miracles they [illegible: 1 word] seen, according to what Christ had prayd for them, Luk. 23. 34. And it may very well be: like as Paul was converted upon [illegible: 1 word] Stevens prayer; as Justine Martyr and others were, by behold. Iustin. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. ing the piety and patience of the Primitive Christians, and as James Silvester [illegible: 1 word] at the Martyrdome of Simon Lalot at [illegible: 1 word]. He seeing the great faith and constancy of that heavenly Martyr, was so compuncted with repentance (saith Mr Fox,) and fell into such despair of himself, that they had much ado Act. [illegible: 1 word] Mon. fol. 829. to fasten any comfort on him, wich all the promises of the Gospell: till at length he recovered, repented, and with all his family, removed to the Church of Genova: Christians have shewed as glorious power (and have as good successe) in the faith of Martyrdome, as in the faith of miracles; working wonders thereby, upon those that have sought and suckt their blood.

Verse 55. And many women were there] More hardy then the Disciples, who all, save John, were fled and hid. Oh stand (saith a Divine,) and behold a little, with those devout women, the body of thy Saviour, hanging upon the crosse. See him afflicted from top to [illegible: 1 word]. See him wounded in the head, to heal our vainD. Suttons Disce mori. [illegible: 1 word]. See him wounded in the hands to heal our evil actions. See him wounded in the heart, to cure our [illegible: 1 word] thoughts. See his eyes shut up, that did enlighten the world: See them shut, that thine might be turned from seeing of vanity. See that countenance so goodly to behold, spetted upon and [illegible: 1 word], that thy face [illegible: 1 word] shine glorious as the Angels in heaven, &c. See the Note on, Job. 19. 25. [illegible: 1 word] afarre off] Either out of womanly modesty, or [illegible: 1 word] of faith; which, when it is in heart, is able by its [illegible: 2 words] to pull the very heart as it were out of hell, and with [illegible: 1 word] and conquest to look even death, and the devil in the [illegible: 1 word]; as we see in Anne Askew, Alice Driver, and other brave women, that suffered stoutly for Christ.

Verse 56. Among which was Mary Magdalen.] Love is [illegible: 1 word] as death: good blood will never bely it self. Mary also [illegible: 1 word] mother of Jesus was there, sitting with the sword thorow her [illegible: 1 word], that old Sime on had forehight her. See, [illegible: 1 word]. 19. 26, 27. with the Note upon that text.

Verse 57. A rich man of Arimathaea] Not many such, '[illegible: 2 words] there are any. Ioseph was a counsellour, a Senatour, one of the [illegible: 1 word] or seventy Seniours. Christ findes friends in the [illegible: 1 word] tempestuous times and unlikely places; as in [illegible: 1 word] and Neroes court. Some good Obadiah, or One [illegible: 1 word], to seek out Paul the prisoner, and refresh his bowels. Serena the [illegible: 1 word],Bucholo. wife to Diocletian that bloody persecutour, was a Christian, and a great friend to the true Religion. So was the Lady Anne (wife to our King Richard the second,) a disciple of Wickliffe; whose books also she conveyed over into Bohemia her countrey, whereby a good foundation was laid for the ensuing Reformation. [illegible: 1 word] of Gaunt shewed himself a great favourer of Wickliffe: The like did the Electour of Saxony for Luther. George Marquesse of Brandenburg, in a meeting of the Emperour and [illegible: 2 words] Ausborough, zealously professed that he would rather kneel [illegible: 1 word]. [illegible: 1 word] down presently in the presence of them all, and yeeld his head to be [illegible: 1 word] off by the executioner, then deny Christ and his Gospel.

Verse 58. He went to Pilate.] It was time for him now or never to shew himself, and to wax bold, Mark 15. 43. The Spaniards, Hist. of [illegible: 1 word]. of [illegible: 1 word]. [illegible: 1 word]. they say, abhorre dangers, never aduenturing upon hard enterprizes, but aiming to proceed securely. Christs Disciples must speak and do boldly in the Lord, [illegible: 1 word], 14. 3. whatever come of it. Audendo Graeci pèrvenêre Trojam. Alexander never [illegible: 1 word] any thing, but he conceived it might be done, and he did it. Historians [illegible: 1 word] most of his successe, to his courage; and tell us, that having a souldier of his own name in his army whom he knew to be a coward, he commanded him either to change his name, or shew his valour. So saith Christ to all [illegible: 1 word] Iosephs and Nicodemusses; either play the men, or pretend [illegible: 1 word] to me.

Verse 59. He wrapped it in a clean linnen cloth] Which [illegible: 1 word] had bought new for the purpose, saith St Mark, to his no [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word]. 15. 46. cost: for linnen in those daies was precious, so that a handkerchief Nam [illegible: 1 word] setaba ex [illegible: 3 words] muneri [illegible: 1 word] & [illegible: 1 word]. Catul. among even the Roman riotours, was a rich token, as appears out of the Poet. Neither did this rich man loose his cost; for he is and shall be famous for it to the worlds [illegible: 1 word]: though [illegible: 1 word] body be not at leasure to do as Paleottus Archbishop of Binony did, who wrot a great book of the shadow of Christs body [illegible: 1 word] Iosephs new syndon; which was also commented upon by [illegible: 1 word] Professour of Divinity there.

Verse 60. And laid it in his own new tomb] His own, [illegible: 1 word] was now well warmed sweetned and sanctified by our [illegible: 1 word] body, against himself should be laid there; as afterwards he [illegible: 1 word] and probably was too. A new tomb it was, and fit it should [illegible: 1 word] for that virgin-body, or maiden-corps, as one calls it, [illegible: 1 word] and untainted. Besides, else it might have been suspected, [illegible: 1 word] not Christ but another arose; or if he, yet not by his own, but by anothers vertue: like him who revived at the touching of the bones of dead Elisha, 2 King. 13. Buried our Saviour was. 1. [illegible: 1 word] none might doubt of his death. 2. That our sinns might be buried with him. 3. That our graves might be prepared and perfumed for us, as so many beds of roses, or delicious dormitories, Isa. 57. 2. He was buried in Calvary, to note that he died for the condemned: and in a garden, to expiate that first sinne committed in the garden: and in another mans sepulchre, to note that he died for other mens sins, as some will have it. Helena, mother [illegible: 2 words]. of Constantine the great, bestowed great cost in repairing this [illegible: 1 word] of our Saviour, which the Heathens out of hatred to Christ had thrown down, and built a temple to Venus on the same ground. And Ierusalem, that poor ruinous city, being governed, by one of the Turks Sanzacks, is for nothing now more famous Turk Hist. [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word]. then for the sepulchre of our Saviour again repaired, and much visited by the superstitious sort of Christians and not unreverenced by the Turks themselves. And he rolled a great stone] Either for an inscription to the sepulcher, or for more safety to the body, or that the glory of the resurrection might be the greater, or all these together.

Verse 61. And there [illegible: 1 word] Mary Magdalen] Carefully watching where they laid the Lords body, that they might not leave off their kindenesse to him living or dead, as she said of [illegible: 1 word], Ruth 2. 20. Heavy they were as heart could hold: yet not hindred thereby from doing their duty to Christ. So Daniel, though sick, yet did the Kings businesse. Even sorrow for sin, if it so exceed, as to disable us for duty, is a sinfull sorrow, and must be sorrowed for.

Verse 62. Now the next day that followed] That is, on that high-day, that double Sabbath; they that had so oft quarreld Christ for curing on the Sabbath, request a servile work to be done, of securing and sealing up the sepulcher. It is a common proverb, Mortui non mordent, Dead men bite not. But here Christ, though dead and buried, bites and beats hard upon these evil mens consciences. They could not rest the whole night afore, for fear he should get out of the grave some way: and so create them [illegible: 1 word] trouble. Scipio appointed his sepulcher to be so placed, as his image standing upon it might look directly toward Africa: that being dead he might still be a terrour to the Carthaginians. And [illegible: 1 word], an ancient King of this Iland, commanded his dead body to be embalmed, and put into a brazen image, and so set upon a brazen horse over Ludgate, for a terrour to [illegible: 1 word] Saxons. It is well known that Zisca, that brave Bohemian, charged his Taborites, to flea his corps, and head a drum with his skin; the sound whereof as oft as the enemies heard, they should be appaled, and put to flight. And our Edward the first, adjured his son and Nobles, that if he died in his journey into Scotland, they should carry his corps about with them, and not suffer it to be interred till they had vanquished the Usurper, and subdued the countrey. Something like to this, the Prophet Isaiah foretelleth of our Saviour (and we see it here accomplished) when he saith, In that day the root of Jesse shall stand up for an [illegible: 1 word] to Isa. [illegible: 1 word]. 10. the people, and even his rest (or, as some read it, his sepulcher,) shall be glorius.

Verse 63. Sir, we remember, &c.] They that had forgotten so many sweet and savoury sayings of our blessed Saviour, and written them all in the sand, could remember (but for no good purpose,) that which his Disciples could not so readily call to minde for their good and comfort; no nor [illegible: 1 word] it, when plainly told them, Mark 9. 32. The soul should be as an holy Ark, the memory as the pot of Mannan, preserving holy truths, for holy uses. But most men have memories like nets, that [illegible: 1 word] goe the [illegible: 1 word] water, catch nothing but sticks, and [illegible: 1 word]-[illegible: 1 word]; or like sieves, that retain the chafte, let go the good corn: like the creature Cervarius, that if he but look back, forgets the meat he was eating, though never so hungry, and seeks for new: Or [illegible: 1 word] in [illegible: 1 word], who never in all his life could get by heart those three names of Homer, Ulisses and Achilles. Old songs, old wrongs, &c. they can retain sufficiently; but in matters of God, their memories serve them not. This deceiver said] Men [illegible: 1 word] as they use. Quis tulerit [illegible: 1 word]? who can endure to hear the devil taxing God of envy, as he did to our first [illegible: 1 word]? or these deceitfull [illegible: 2 words] the Faithfull and true witnesse, a deceiver, a cheater, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. one who doth [illegible: 1 word] an [illegible: 1 word] of cosening men to their faces? forEust ath. iu Hom. so the Greek word signifieth. We must look to hear all that naught is, either whiles alive, or when dead. [illegible: 1 word] mor tuits, [illegible: 3 words] in deum, cruci affigitur, saith Zanchy: and all because he pleased not, in all points, the [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word] M [illegible: 2 words], [illegible: 1 word]. Lutherans.

Verse 64. Command therefore] How fain would the devil by his [illegible: 1 word] have kept Christ still in the grave, when there they had him. But all in vain: for his resurrection was to be the demonstration of his deity, Rom. 1. 4. and the ground work of our safety, 1 Cor. 15 14. He turned therefore their counsell into foolishnesse, and in the fight of so many armed witnesses, rose the third day, in despite of them, breaking the bonds of death as easily, asJudg 36. 7. Sampson did the [illegible: 1 word] withs. Least his Disciples come by night] A most vain, and yet a most vexing fear, such as was that of Herod after he had beheaded John Baptist: he thought he heard that holy head ever shouting and crying out against him, for his cruelty. This is John Baptist, said he (when he heard the fame of Jesus,) whom I have beheaded. Exod. 23. 28. I will send the hornet, saith God, before thee. What was that hornet, but the misgiving fear of the Canaanites self condemning consciences, that haunted them perpetually? So here.

Verse 65. Pilate said unto them] He was willing to please both sides: and therefore condescends both to Joseph of Arimathea for his buriall, and to the Priests for securing the sepulcher. [illegible: 1 word] erat utpote qui ab omnibus gratiam inire cupie [illegible: 1 word]: quales quidam per jocum placentas dixit. But if I yet please men, Gal. 1. 10. saith Paul, as once I did when I was [illegible: 1 word] Pharisee, I am no more the servant of Christ: He scorns that such [illegible: 1 word] counter [illegible: 1 word] should be found in his followers. Mordecai will not crouch or curry [illegible: 1 word], to dye for it. Micaiah will not budge, though sure to kisseColos. 2. 8. the stocks for his stiffnesse. Ye have a watch] Appointed for the use and service of the Temple, a band of garison-souldiers who had their captaine, Act. 4. 1. and are here set to watch that true Temple wherein the Godhead dwelt bodily, i. e. personally.

Verse 66. So they went and made the sepulcher sure] And now they seemed to dance upon Christs grave, as thinking themselves cock-sure of him. So did those bloody tyrants of the Primitive times (who proudly engraved upon pillars of marble, Nomine Christianorum deleto, qui Remp. evertebant,) make no other reckoning, but to raze out the name of Christ from under heaven. Therefore also they did not only constitute laws and proclamations against Christians, but did engrave the same laws in tables of brasse; meaning to make all things firm for ever and a day. But he that sat in heaven, and said, Yet have I set my King upon my Psal. [illegible: 1 word]. 4. 6. holy hill of Sion, laughed at them, Jehovah had them in derision. Look how Daniel was innocently condemned, cast into the lions den, had the door sealed upon him, and to see to, no hope or means of life was left him; and yet, by Gods good providence, he came forth untouched, and was made a greater man then ever: So our blessed Saviour was innocently condemned, cast into the grave, sealed up among the dead, and to common judgement left as out of minde: yet early in the morning, at the time appointed by the power of his deity, he raised himself from death, and gloriously triumphed over it and hell. Now thanks be unto God 2 Cor. 2. 14. which also causeth us to triumph in Christ, having as prisoners of hope, brought us out of the pit by the blood of the covenant, Zech. 9. 11, 12.

Jesus is brought before Pilate. See also Mk 15:1, Lk 23:1, Jn 18:28, etc.

When the morning was come. This was not long after he had been condemned by the sanhedrim. Peter's last denial was probably not far from three o'clock, or near the break of day. As soon as it was light, they consulted together for the purpose of taking his life. The sun rose at that season of the year, in Judea, not far from five o'clock; and the time when they assembled was not long after Peter's denial.

The Chief Priests--took counsel. They had agreed that he deserved to die, on a charge of blasphemy. Yet they did not dare to put him to death by stoning, as they did afterwards Stephen, Acts 7:1 and as the law commanded in case of blasphemy, for they feared the people. They therefore consulted, or took counsel together, to determine on what pretence they could deliver him to the Roman emperor, or to fix some charge of a civil nature, by which Pilate might be induced to condemn him. The charge which they fixed on was not that on which they had tried him, and on which they had determined he ought to die, Mt 26:66; but that of "perverting the nation," and of "forbidding to give tribute to Caesar," Lk 23:2. On this accusation, if made out, they supposed Pilate could be induced to condemn Jesus. On a charge of blasphemy they knew he could not, as that was not an offence against the Roman laws, and over which, therefore, Pilate claimed no jurisdiction.

To put him to death. To devise some way by which he might be put to death under the authority of the Roman governor.

(m) "counsel" Ps 2:2

And when they had bound him. He was bound when they took him in the garden, Jn 18:12. Probably when he was tried before the sanhedrim, in the palace of Caiaphas, he had been loosed from his bonds--being there surrounded by multitudes, and supposed to be safe. As they were about to lead him to another part of the city now, they again bound him. The binding consisted, probably, in nothing more than tying his hands.

Pontius Pilate the governor. The governor, appointed by the Romans, over Judea. The governor commonly resided at Caesarea; but he came up to Jerusalem usually at the great feasts, when most of the Jews were assembled, to administer justice, and to suppress tumults, if any should arise. The title which Pilate received was that of governor, or procurator. The duties of the office were chiefly to collect the revenues due to the Roman emperor, and, in certain cases, to administer justice. Pilate was appointed governor of Judea by Tiberius, then emperor of Rome. John says Jn 18:28 that they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the hall of judgment--that is, to the part of the praetorium, or governor's palace, where justice was administered. The Jews did not, however, enter in themselves, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the passover. In Nu 19:22, it is said, that whosoever touched an unclean thing should be unclean, For this reason they would not enter into the house of a heathen, lest they should contract some defilement that would render them unfit to keep the passover.

(n) "him to" Mt 20:19

Then Judas--when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself. This shows that Judas did not suppose that the affair would have results in this calamitous manner. He probably expected that Jesus would have worked a miracle to deliver himself, and not have suffered this condemnation to come upon him. When he saw him taken, bound, tried, and condemned; when he saw that all probability that he would deliver himself was taken away, he was overwhelmed with disappointment, sorrow, and remorse of conscience. The word rendered repented himself, it has been observed, does not of necessity denote a change for the better, but any change of views and feelings. Here it evidently means no other change than that produced by the horrors of a guilty conscience, and by deep remorse, for crime at its unexpected results. It was not saving repentance; that leads to a holy life: this led to an increase of crime in his own death. True repentance leads the sinner to the Saviour: this led away from the Saviour to the gallows. Judas, if he had been a true penitent, would have come then to Jesus, confessed his crime at his feet, and sought for pardon there. But, overwhelmed with remorse, and the conviction of vast guilt, he was not willing to come into his presence, and added to the crime of a traitor that of self-murder. Assuredly, such a man could not be a true penitent.

I have sinned, I have been guilty. I have done wrong.

In that I have betrayed the innocent blood. That is, in betraying an innocent being to death. Blood is put here for life, or for the man. The meaning is, that he knew and felt that Jesus was innocent. This confession is a remarkable proof that Jesus was innocent. Judas had been with him three years, he had seen him in public and private; he had heard his public teaching and his private views; he had seen him in all circumstances; and if he had done anything evil, or advanced anything against the Roman emperor, Judas was competent to testify it. Had he known any such thing, he would have stated it. He would have appeared to vindicate himself. His testimony, being a disciple of Jesus, would have been, to the chief priests, far more-valuable than that of any other man; and he might not only have escaped the horrors of a troubled conscience, and an awful death, but have looked for an ample reward. That he did not make such a charge--that he fully and frankly confessed that Jesus was innocent--and that he gave up the ill-gotten price of treason--is full proof that, in the belief of Judas, the Saviour was free from crime, and even the suspicion of crime.

What is that to us? This form of speaking denoted that they had nothing to do with his remorse of conscience, and his belief that Jesus was innocent. They had secured what they wanted, the person of Jesus, and they cared little now for the feelings of the traitor, So all wicked men, who make use of the agency of others for the accomplishment of crime, or the gratification of passion, will care little for the effect on the instrument. They will soon cast him off and despise him; and, in thousands of instances, them instruments of villainy, and the panders to the pleasures of others, are abandoned to remorse, wretchedness, crime, and death.

(o) "innocent blood" 2Kgs 24:4

And he cast down, etc, This was an evidence of his remorse of conscience for his crime. His ill-gotten gain now did him no good. It would not produce relief to his agonized mind. He attempted, therefore, to obtain relief by throwing back the price of treason. But he attempted it in vain. The consciousness of guilt was fastened to his soul; and Judas found, as all win find, that to cast away or abandon ill-gotten wealth will not alleviate the guilty conscience.

In the temple, It is not quite certain what part of the temple is here meant. Some have thought it was the place where the sanhedrim was accustomed to sit; others, the treasury; others, the part where the priests offered sacrifice. It is probable that Judas cared little, or thought little, to what particular part of the temple he went. In his deep remorse he hurried to the temple, and probably cast the money down in the most convenient place, and fled to some situation where he might take his life.

And went and hanged himself. The word used in the original, here, has given rise to much discussion, whether it means that he was suffocated or strangled by his great grief, or whether he took his life by suspending himself. It is acknowledged on all hands, however, that the latter is its most usual meaning, and it is certainly the most obvious meaning. Peter says, in giving an account of the death of Jesus, Acts 1:18 that Judas, "falling headlong, burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out." There has been supposed to be some difficulty in reconciling these two accounts, but there is really no necessary difference. Both accounts are true. Matthew records the mode in which Judas attempted his death by hanging. Peter speaks of the result. Judas probably passed out of the temple in great haste and perturbation of mind. He sought a place where he might perpetrate this crime. He would not, probably, be very careful about the fitness of the means he used. In his anguish, his haste, his desire to die, he seized upon a rope and suspended himself; and it is not at all remarkable, or indeed unusual, that the rope might prove too weak, and break. Falling headlong--that is, on his, face--he burst asunder, and in awful horrors died--a double death, with double pains and double horrors--the reward of his aggravated guilt.

It is not lawful, etc. It was forbidden De 18:18 to take what was esteemed as an abomination, and to offer it to God. The price of blood--that is, of the life of a man--they justly considered as an improper and unlawful offering.

The treasury. The treasury was kept in the court of the women. See plan of the temple, Mt 21:12. It was composed of a number of small chests placed in different parts of the courts to receive the voluntary offerings of the people, as well as the half-shekel required of every Jew. The original word, here rendered treasury, contains the notion of an offering to God. What was given there was considered as an offering made to Him.

The price of blood. The life is in the blood. The word blood, here, means the same as life. The price of blood, means the price by which the life of a man has been purchased. This was an acknowledgment that in their view Jesus was innocent. They had bought him, not condemned him justly. It is remarkable that they were so scrupulous now about so small a matter comparatively as putting this money in the treasury, when they had no remorse about murdering an innocent being, and crucifying him who had given full evidence that he was the Messiah. Men are often very scrupulous in small matters, who stick not at great crimes.

And they took counsel, etc. They consulted among themselves about the proper way to dispose of this money.

And bought with them. In Acts 1:18, it is said of Judas that he "purchased a field with the reward of iniquity." By the passage in the Acts is meant no more than that he furnished the means, or was the occasion of purchasing the field. It is not of necessity implied that Judas actually made the contract, and paid down the money to buy a field to bury strangers in--a thing which would be in itself very improbable; but that it was by his means that the field was purchased. It is very frequent in the Scriptures, as well as in other writings, to represent a man as doing that which he is only the cause or occasion of another's doing. See Acts 2:23, Jn 19:1, Mt 27:59,60.

The potter's field. Probably this was some, field well known by that name, which was used for the purpose of making earthen vessels. The price paid for a field so near Jerusalem may appear to be very small; but it is not improbable that it had been worked till the clay was exhausted, and was neither fit for that business nor for tillage, and was therefore considered as of little value.

To bury strangers in. Jews, who came up from other parts of the world to attend the great feasts at Jerusalem. The high priests, who regarded the Gentiles as abominable, would not be inclined to provide a burial-place for them.

The field of blood. The field purchased by the price of blood. The name by which this field was called was Aceldama, Acts 1:19. It was just without the walls of Jerusalem, on the south of Mount Zion. It is now used as a burying-place by the Armenian Christians in Jerusalem, who have a magnificent convent on Mount Zion. Miss. Herald, 1824, p. 66. See the map of Jerusalem, and ch. ii. 1.

Unto this day. That is, to the day when Matthew wrote this gospel, about thirty years after the field was purchased.

Spoken by Jeremy the prophet. The words quoted here are not to be found in the prophecy of Jeremiah. Words similar to these are recorded in Zech 11:12,13, and from that place this quotation has been doubtless made. Much difficulty has been experienced in explaining this quotation. Anciently, according to the Jewish writers, Jeremiah was reckoned the first of the prophets, and was placed first in the Book of the Prophets: thus Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Isaiah, and the twelve minor prophets. Some have thought that Matthew, quoting this place, quoted the Book of the Prophets under the name of that which had the first place in the book--i, e., Jeremiah; and though the words are those of Zechariah, yet they are quoted correctly as the words of the Book of the Prophets, the first of which was Jeremiah. Others have thought that there was a mistake made by ancient transcribers, writing the name Jeremiah instead of Zechariah; and it is observed that this might be done by the change of only a single letter. It was often the custom to abridge words in writing them, Thus, instead of writing the name of Jeremiah in full, it would be written in Greek Iriou. So Zechariah would be written Zriou. By the mere change of Z into I, therefore, the mistake might easily be made. Probably this is the correct explanation. Others have supposed that the words were spoken by Jeremiah, and that Zechariah recorded them; and that Matthew quoted them as they were, the words of Jeremiah. The passage is not quoted literally; and by its being fulfilled is meant, probably, that the language used by Zechariah on a similar occasion would express also this event. It was language appropriate to this occasion.

The price of him that was valued. That is, the price of him on whom a value was set. The word rendered "valued," here, does not, as often in our language, mean to esteem, but to estimate; not to love, approve, or regard, but to fix a price on, to estimate the value of. This they considered to be thirty pieces of silver, the common price of a slave.

They of the children of Israel did value. Some of the Jews, the leaders or priests, acting in the name of the nation.

Did value. Did estimate, or fix a price on.

(q) "spoken" Zech 11:12,13 (1) "valued" or, "whom they bought of the children of Israel."

And gave them. In Zechariah it is I gave them. Here it is represented as being given by the priests. The meaning is not, however, different. It is, that this price was given for the potter's field.

As the Lord appointed me. That is, commanded me. The meaning of the place in Zechariah is this: He was directed to go to the Jews as a prophet--a pastor of the people. They treated him, as they had done others, with great contempt. He asks them to give him his price-- i.e., the price which they thought he and his pastoral labours were worth, or to show their estimate of his office. If they thought it of value, they were to pay him accordingly; if not, they were to "forbear"-- that is, to give nothing. To show their great contempt of him and his office, and of God who had sent him, they gave him thirty pieces of silver, the price of a slave. This God commanded, or appointed him to give to the potter, or to throw into the pottery--to throw away. So in the time of Jesus the same thing was substantially repeated. Jesus came as the Messiah. They hated and rejected him. To show their contempt of him and his cause, they valued him at the price of a slave. This was thrown down in the temple, taken by the priests, and appropriated to the purchase of a field owned by a potter, worn out, and of little or no value; all showing at how low a price, through the whole transaction, the Son of God was estimated. Though the words quoted here are not precisely like those in Zechariah, yet the sense and general structure are the same.

And Jesus stood before the governor. Many things are omitted by Matthew in the account of this trial, which are recorded by the other evangelists. A much more full account is found in Jn 18:28-40.

And the governor asked him, etc. This question was asked on account of the charge which the Jews brought against Jesus, of "perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar," Lk 23:2. It was on this charge that, after consultation, they had agreed to arraign him before Pilate. They had condemned him for blasphemy; but they well knew that Pilate would altogether disregard an accusation of that kind. They therefore attempted to substitute a totally different accusation from that on which they had professed to find him guilty; to excite the jealousy of the Roman governor, and to procure his death on a false charge of treason against the Roman emperor.

Thou sayest. That is, thou sayest right, or thou sayest the truth. We may wonder why the Jews, if they heard this confession, did not press it upon the attention of Pilate as a full confession of his guilt. It was what they had accused him of. But it might be doubtful whether, in the confusion, they heard the confession; or, if they did, Jesus took away all occasion of triumph by explaining to Pilate the nature of his kingdom, Jn 18:36. Though he acknowledged that he was a king, yet he stated fully that his kingdom was not of this world, and that therefore it could not be alleged against him as treason against the Roman emperor. This was done in the palace, apart from the Jews; and fully satisfied Pilate of his innocence, Jn 18:38.

When he was accused, etc. To wit, of perverting the nation, and of forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, Lk 23:2,5. Probably this was done in a tumultuous manner, and in every variety of form.

He answered nothing. He was conscious of his innocence. He knew that they could not prove these charges. They offered no testimony to prove them; and, in conscious innocence, he was silent.

(r) "answered nothing" Mt 26:63

They witness against thee. This means, rather, that they accused him. They were not witnesses, but accusers. These accusations were repeated and pressed. They charged him with exciting the people, teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee to Jerusalem, and exciting them to sedition, Lk 23:6.

To never a word. That is, not at all. He said nothing. This is a way of speaking, denoting that it was remarkable. It is an emphatic way of saying that he answered nothing. There was no need of his replying. He was innocent, and they offered no proof of guilt. Besides, his appearance was full evidence in his favour. He was poor, unarmed, without powerful friends, and alone. His life had been public, and his sentiments were well known; and the charge had on the face of it the aspect of absurdity. It deserved, therefore, no answer.

Marvelled greatly. Wondered exceedingly, or was much surprised. He was probably more surprised that he bore this so meekly, and did not return railing for railing, than that he did not set up a defence. The latter was unnecessary. The former was unusual. The governor was not accustomed to see it, and was therefore greatly amazed.

It was at this time that Pilate, having heard them speak of Galilee, Lk 23:5 asked if he was a Galilean. Having ascertained that he was, and probably desirous of freeing himself from any farther trouble in the affair, under pretence that he belonged to Herod's Jurisdiction, he sent Jesus to Herod, who was then at Jerusalem, attending the feast of the Passover, Lk 23:6-12. Herod having examined him, and finding no cause of death in him, sent him back to Pilate. Pleased with the respect which had been shown him, Herod laid aside his enmity against Pilate, and they became friends. The cause of their friendship does not appear to be at all that they were united in opposing the claims of Jesus to be the Messiah, but the respect which Pilate had shown in sending Jesus to him.

See also the parallel places in Mk 15:6-14, Lk 23:17-23 Jn 18:39,40.

At that feast. The feast of the passover.

The governor was wont to release, etc. Was accustomed to release. From what this custom arose, or by whom it was introduced, is not known. It was probably adopted to secure popularity among the Jews, and to render the government of the Romans less odious. Any little indulgence granted to the Jews, during the heavy oppression of the Romans, would serve to conciliate their favour, and to keep the nation from sedition. It might happen often, that when persons were arraigned before the Romans, on charge of sedition, some peculiar favourite of the people, or some leader, might be among the number. It is evident that if they had the privilege of recovering such a person, it would serve much to allay their feelings, and make tolerable the yoke under which they groaned.

(s) "Now at that feast" Mk 15:6, Lk 23:17, Jn 18:39

A notable prisoner. The word notable means one that is distinguished in any way, either for great virtues, or great crimes. In this place, it evidently means the latter. He was perhaps a leader of a band who had been guilty of sedition, and had committed murder in an insurrection, Lk 23:19.

Whom will ye that I release, etc. Pilate was satisfied of the innocence of Jesus, Lk 23:13-16 he was therefore desirous of releasing him. He expected to release one to the people. He knew that Jesus, though condemned by the chief priests, was yet popular among the people. He therefore attempted in this manner to rescue him from the hands of the priests, and expected that the people would prefer him to an odious and infamous robber and murderer. Had the people been left to themselves, it would probably have been done.

Jesus which is called Christ. That is, Jesus who claims to be the Messiah. Pilate probably did not believe it, or care much for it. He used the name which Jesus had acquired among the people. Perhaps, also, he thought that they would be more likely to ask him to be released, if he was presented to them as the Messiah. Mark Mk 15:9 adds, that he asked them whether they would that he should release "the King of the Jews?" It is probable that he asked the question in both ways. Perhaps it was several times repeated; and Matthew has recorded one way in which it was asked, and Mark another. He asked them whether they would demand him who was called the Christ--expecting that they would be moved by the claims of the Messiah, claims which, when he entered Jerusalem in triumph, and in the temple, they had acknowledged. He asked them whether they would have the King of the Jews--probably to ridicule the priests who had delivered him on that charge. He did it to show the people how absurd the accusation was. There he stood, apparently a poor, inoffensive, unarmed, and despised man. Herod set him at naught, and scourged him, and sent him back. The charge, therefore, of the priests, that he was a king opposed to the Roman emperor, was supremely ridiculous; and Pilate expecting the people would see it so, hoped also that they would ask him to be released.

For he knew that for envy, etc. This was envy at his popularity. He drew away the people from them. This Pilate understood probably from his knowledge of the pride and ambition of the rulers, and from the fact that no danger could arise from a person that appeared like Jesus. If Pilate knew this, he was bound to release him himself. As a governor and judge, he was bound to protect the innocent, and should, in spite of all the opposition of the Jews, at once have set him at liberty. But the Scriptures could not then have been fulfilled. It was necessary, in order that an atonement should be made, that Jesus should be condemned to die. At the same time, it shows the wisdom of the overruling providence of God, that he was condemned by a man who was satisfied of his innocence, and who proclaimed before his accusers his full belief that there was no fault in him.

(t) "envy" Prov 27:4, Eccl 4:4

Have thou nothing to do, etc. That is, do not condemn him. Perhaps she was afraid that the vengeance of heaven would follow her husband and family, if he condemned the innocent.

That just man. The word just here has the sense of innocent; or not guilty. She might have been satisfied of his innocence from other sources, as well as from the dream. It is possible that the woman might have been a worshipper of the true God, and that she might therefore have desired that the Messiah should be released.

I have suffered many things, etc. Dreams were occasionally considered as indications of the Divine will; and, among the Romans and Greeks, as well as the Jews, great reliance was placed on them. Her mind-- probably agitated with the subject; satisfied of the innocence of Jesus; and knowing that the Jews would make every effort to secure his condemnation--was also excited during her sleep, perhaps with a frightful prospect of the judgments that would descend on the family of Pilate if Jesus was condemned. She therefore sent to him to secure if possible his release.

(u) "that just man" Isa 53:11, Zech 9:9, Lk 23:47, 1Pet 2:22, 1Jn 2:1

Persuaded the multitude. The release of a prisoner was to be to the people, not to the rulers. The rulers therefore, in order to secure the condemnation of Jesus, urged on the people to demand Barabbas. The people were greatly under the influence of the priests. Galileans among the citizens of Jerusalem were held in contempt. The priests turned the pretensions of Jesus into ridicule. Hence in a popular tumult, among a flexible and changing multitude, they easily excited them, who but a little before had cried hosanna, to cry crucify him.

(v) "Barabbas" Acts 3:14

Whether of the twain? Which of the two, Jesus or Barabbas?

And the governor said, Why? Luke informs us that Pilate put this question to them three times, so anxious was he to release him. He affirmed that he had found no cause of death in him. He said, therefore, that he would chastise him, and let him go. He expected probably, by causing him to be publicly whipped, to excite their compassion, to satisfy them, and thus to evade the demands of the priests, and to set him at liberty with the consent of the people. So weak and irresolute was this Roman governor! Satisfied of his innocence, he should at once have preferred justice to popularity, and acted as became a magistrate in acquitting the innocent.

Let him be crucified. Mt 27:39. Luke says they were instant with loud voices demanding this. They urged it. They demanded it with a popular clamour.

(w) "Let him be crucified" Mt 21:38,39

He took water, etc. The Jews were accustomed to wash their hands when they wished to show that they were innocent of a crime committed by others. See De 21:6, Ps 26:6. They often used signs to represent their meaning. Pilate, in doing this, meant to denote that they were guilty of his death, but that he was innocent. But the mere washing of his hands did not free him from guilt, he was bound as a magistrate to free an innocent man; and whatever might be the clamour of the Jews, he was guilty at the bar of God for suffering the holy Saviour to be led to execution, to gratify the malice of enraged priests, and the clamours of a tumultuous populace.

See ye to it. That is, take it upon yourselves. Ye are responsible for it, if ye put him to death.

(x) "his hands" De 21:6

His blood be on us, etc. That is, let the guilt of putting him to death, if there be any, be on us and our children. We will be answerable for it, and will consent to bear the punishment for it. It is remarked by writers, that among the Athenians, if any one accused another of a capital crime, he devoted himself and children to the same punishment, if the accused was afterwards found innocent. So in all countries the conduct of the parent involves also the children in the consequences of his conduct, The Jews had no right to call down this vengeance on their children, but in the righteous judgment of God it has come upon them. In less than forty years their city and temple were overthrown and destroyed. More than a million of people perished in the siege. Thousands died by famine; thousands by disease; thousands by the sword; and their blood ran down the streets like water, so that, Josephus says, it extinguished things that were burning in the city, Thousands were crucified-- suffering the same punishment that they had inflicted on the Messiah. So great was the number of those who were crucified, that, Josephus says, they were obliged to cease from it, "room being wanting for the crosses, and crosses for the men." To this day, also, the curse has remained. They have been a nation scattered and peeled; persecuted almost everywhere, and a hissing and a by-word among men. No single nation probably has suffered so much; and yet they have been preserved. All classes of men; all the governments of the earth, have conspired to overwhelm them with calamity, and yet they still live as monuments of the justice of God, and as proofs, going down from age to age, that the Christian religion is true-- standing demonstrations of the crime of their fathers in putting the Messiah to death, and in calling down vengeance on their heads.

And when he had scourged Jesus. Mt 10:17. Among the Romans, it was customary to scourge, or whip, a slave before he was crucified. This was done to inflict a greater suffering than crucifixion would be alone; and to add to the horrors of the punishment. Our Lord, being about to be put to death, after the manner of a slave, was also treated as a slave; as one of the lowest and most despised of mankind,

He delivered him, etc. Not merely he gave him up to them to crucify him, as if they only were answerable, but he gave him up as a judge when he ought to have saved his life, and might have done it. Crucifixion was a Roman punishment; it was performed by Roman soldiers; Pilate pronounced the sentence from the tribunal, and Pilate affixed the title to the cross. Pilate, therefore, as well as the Jews, was answerable to God for the death of the Saviour of the world.

(z) "scourged Jesus" Isa 53:5, Lk 18:33

See also Mk 15:15-20, Jn 19:1-3.

Into the common hall. Tho original word here means, rather, the governor's palace, or dwelling. The trial of Jesus had taken place out of the palace. The Jews would not enter in; and it is probable that courts were held often in a larger and more public place than would be a room in his dwelling. Jesus, being condemned, was led by the soldiers away from the Jews, within this palace, and subjected to their profane mockery and sport.

The whole band. The band or cohort was a tenth part of a Roman legion, and consisted of from four hundred to six hundred men, according to the size of the legion.

(1) "common hall" or, "governor's house"

And they stripped him. That is, they either took off all his upper garments, or removed all his clothing, probably the former.

A scarlet robe. Mark says they clothed him in purple. The scarlet colour was obtained from a species of fruit; purple from shell-fish. The ancients gave the name purple to any colour that had a mixture of red in it, and consequently these different colours might be some- times called by the same name. The robe here used was the kind worn by Roman generals, and other distinguished officers of the Roman army, and also by the Roman governors. It was made so as to be placed on the shoulders, and was bound around the body so as to leave the right arm at liberty. As we cannot suppose that Pilate would array him in a new and splendid robe, we must suppose that this was one which had been worn and cast off as useless, and was now used to array the Son of God as an object of ridicule and scorn!

Had platted. The word platted here means woven together, or having made a wreath of a thorn-bush.

A crown. Or perhaps, rather, a wreath. A crown was worn by kings, commonly made of gold, and precious stones. To ridicule the pretensions of Jesus, that he was a king, they probably plucked up a thorn-bush growing near, made it into something resembling, in shape, a royal crown, so as to correspond with the old purple, and to complete the mockery.

Of thorns. What is the precise species of shrub denoted here is not certainly known. It was, however, doubtless one of that species that has sharp points of very hard wood. They could therefore be easily pressed into the skin, and cause considerable pain. Probably they seized upon the first thing in their way that could be made into a crown, and this happened to be a thorn: thus increasing the sufferings of the meek Redeemer.

And a reed in his right hand. A reed is a straight slender herb, growing in marshy places, and abundant on the banks of the Jordan. It was often used for the purpose of making staves for walking; and it is not improbable that this was such a staff in the possession of some person present. The word is several times thus used. See 2Kgs 18:21; Isa 36:6, Eze 29:6. Kings commonly carried a sceptre, made of ivory or gold, as a sign of their office or rank, Est 4:11, 8:4. This reed or staff they put in his hand, in imitation of a sceptre, to deride also his pretensions of being a king.

And they bowed the knee. This was done for mockery. It was an act of pretended homage. It was to ridicule his saying that he was a king. The common mode of showing respect or homage for kings was by kneeling or prostration. It shows amazing forbearance on the part of Jesus, that he thus consented to be ridiculed, and set at naught. No mere human being would have borne it. None but Him who loved us unto death, and who saw the grand results that would come from this scene of sufferings, could have endured such cruel mockery.

Hail, king of the Jews! The term hail was a common mode of salutation to a king, or even to a friend. It implies, commonly, the highest respect for office, as well as the person, and is an invocation of blessings on the person. Here it was used to carry on what they thought to be the farce of his being a king; to ridicule in every possible way the pretensions of a poor, unattended, unarmed man of Nazareth, as if he had been a weak impostor, or had been deranged.

(a) "mocked him" Ps 69:19,20

And they spit upon him. This was a token of the deepest contempt and insult. Mt 26:67.

And took the reed. The cane, probably so large as to inflict a heavy blow.

And smote him on the head. Not merely to injure him by the force of the blow, but to press the thorns into his head, and thus to add cruelty to insult.

(b) "spit" Is 49:7, 50:6, 53:3,7

As they came out. That is, out of the governor's palace, where he had been treated with such cruelty and contempt, or out of the gates of the city, to crucify him.

A man of Cyrene. Cyrene was a city of Libya, in Africa, lying west of Egypt. There were many Jews there, and they were in the habit, like others, of going frequently to Jerusalem.

Him they compelled to bear his cross. John says, Jn 19:17 that Jesus went forth "bearing his cross." Luke says, Lk 23:26, that they laid the cross on Simon, that he might bear it after Jesus. There is no contradiction in these accounts. It was a part of the usual punishment of those who were crucified, that they should bear their own cross to the place of execution. It was accordingly laid at first on Jesus, and he went forth, as John says, bearing it. Weak, however, and exhausted by suffering and watchfulness, he probably sunk under,the heavy burden, and they laid hold of Simon that he might bear one end of the cross, as Luke says, after Jesus. The cross was composed of two pieces of wood, one of which was placed upright in the earth, and the other crossed it, after the form of the figure t. The upright part was commonly so high that the feet of the person crucified were two or three feet from the ground. On the middle of that upright part there was a projection, or seat, on which the person crucified sat, or, as it were, rode. This was necessary, as the hands were not alone strong enough to bear the weight of the body; as the body was left exposed often many days, and not unfrequently suffered to remain till the flesh had been devoured by vultures, or putrefied in the sun. The feet were fastened to this upright piece, either by nailing them with large spikes driven through the tender part, or by being lashed by cords. To the cross-piece at the top, the hands, being extended, were also fastened, either by spikes or by cords, or perhaps in some cases by both. The hands and feet of our Saviour were both fastened by spikes. Crosses were also sometimes made in the form of the letter X, the limbs of the person crucified being extended to the four parts, and he suffered to die a lingering death in this cruel manner. The cross used in the crucifixion of Christ appears to have been the former. The mention of the cross often occurs in the New Testament. It was the instrument on which the Saviour made atonement for the sins of the world. The whole of the Christian's hope of heaven, and all his peace and consolation in trial and in death, depend on the sacrifice there made for sin, and on just views and feelings in regard to the fact and the design of the Redeemer's death. The following cuts are, therefore, inserted as an illustration of the usual form of the cross, and common method of crucifixion. The annexed cut shows the simplest form of the cross. the usual mode of crucifixion is illustrated by the first cut :--

Other modes of crucifixion are illustrated by the second cut. It was in one of these modes, probably, that Peter was crucified. Jn 21:18.

(c) "led him" Nu 15:35, 1Kgs 21:10,13, Acts 7:58, Heb 13:12

Golgotha. This is the Hebrew word signifying the place of a skull, This is the word which in Luke is called Calvary. In the original, there also, it is a skull. The word calvary is a Latin word meaning skull, or place of skulls. It is not known certainly why this name was given to this place. Some have supposed that it was because the mount resembled in shape a human skull. The most probable opinion, however, is that it was a place of execution; that malefactors were beheaded there, or otherwise put to death, and that their bones remained unburied or unburned. Mount Calvary was a small eminence, usually supposed to have been on the northwest of Jerusalem, without the walls of the city, but at a short distance. Jesus was put to death out of the city, because capital punishments were not allowed within the walls. See Nu 15:35,36, 1Kgs 21:13. This was a law among the Romans, as well as the Jews. He also died there, because the bodies of the beasts slain in sacrifice, as typical of him, were burned without the camp. He also, as the antitype, suffered without the gate, Heb 13:11,12. The place which is shown as Calvary now is within the city, and must also have been within the ancient walls; and there is no reason to suppose that it is the place where the Saviour was put to death.

They gave him vinegar, etc. Mark says that "they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrh." The two evangelists mean the same thing. Vinegar was made of light wine rendered acid, and was the common drink of the Roman soldiers; and this might be called either vinegar or wine, in common language. Myrrh is a bitter substance, produced in Arabia, but is used often to denote anything bitter. The meaning of the name is bitterness. Mt 2:11. Gall is, properly, a bitter secretion from the liver; but the word is also used to denote anything exceedingly bitter, as wormwood, etc. The drink, therefore, was vinegar or wine, rendered bitter by the infusion of wormwood, or some other very bitter substance. The effect of this, it is said, was to stupify the senses. It was often given to those crucified, to render them insensible to the pains of death. Our Lord knowing this, when he had tasted it, refused to drink, he was unwilling to blunt the pains of dying. The cup which his Father gave him he rather chose to drink, He came to suffer. His sorrows were necessary for the work of the atonement; and he gave himself up to the unmitigated sufferings of the cross. This was presented to him in the early part of his sufferings, or when he was about to be suspended on the cross. Afterward, when he was on the cross, and just before his death, vinegar was offered to him without the myrrh --the vinegar which the soldiers usually drank--and of this he received. See Mt 27:49, Jn 19:28-30. Where Matthew and Mark say that he "would not drink," they refer to a different thing and a different time from John, and there is no contradiction.

(d) "gall" Ps 69:21

And they crucified him. To crucify, means to put to death on a cross. The cross has been described at Mt 27:32. The manner of the crucifixion was as follows: After the criminal had carried the cross, attended with every possible jibe and insult, to the place of execution, a hole was dug in the earth to receive the foot of it. The cross was laid on the ground; the person condemned to suffer was stripped, and was extended on it, and the soldiers fastened the hands and feet either by nails or thongs. After they had fixed the nails deeply in the wood, they elevated the cross with the agonizing sufferer on it; and, in order to fix it more firmly in the earth, they let it fall violently into the hole which they had dug to receive it; This sudden fall must have given to the person that was nailed to it a most violent and convulsive shock, and greatly increased his sufferings. The crucified person was then suffered to hang, commonly, till pain, exhaustion, thirst, and hunger ended his life. Sometimes the sufferings continued for days; and when friendly death terminated the life, the body was often suffered to remain--a loathsome object, putrefying in the sun, or devoured by the birds.

This punishment was deemed the most disgraceful and ignominious that was practised among the Romans. It was the way in which slaves, robbers, and the most notorious and abandoned wretches, were commonly put to death. It was this, among other things, that exposed those who preached the gospel to so much shame and contempt among the Greeks and Romans. They despised everything that was connected with the death of one who had died as a slave and an outlaw.

As it was the most ignominious punishment known, so it was the most painful. The following circumstances make it a death of peculiar pain:

(1.) The position of the arms and the body was unnatural, the arms being extended back and almost immovable. The least motion gave violent pain in the hands and feet, and in the back, which was lacerated with stripes.

(2.) The nails, being driven through the parts of the hands and feet which abound with nerves and tendons, created the most exquisite anguish.

(3.) The exposure of so many wounds to the air brought on a violent inflammation, which greatly increased the poignancy of the suffering.

(4.) The free circulation of the blood was prevented. More blood was carried out in the arteries than could be returned by the veins. The consequence was, that there was a great increase in the veins of the head, producing an intense pressure and violent pain. The same was true of other parts of the body. This intense pressure in the blood vessels was the source of inexpressible misery.

(5.) The pain gradually increased. There was no relaxation, and no rest. There was no prospect but death. The sufferer was commonly able to endure it till the third, and sometimes even to the seventh day. The intense sufferings of the Saviour, however, were sooner terminated. This was caused perhaps, in some measure, by his previous fatigue and exhaustion, but still more by the intense sufferings of His soul, his bearing our griefs, and carrying our sorrows; in making an atonement for the sins of the world. Mk 15:44.

And parted his garments. It was customary to crucify a person naked. The clothes of the sufferer belonged to those who were executioners. John says Jn 19:23 that they divided his garments into four parts, to each soldier a part; but for his coat they cast lots. Jnn 19:23. When Matthew says, therefore, that they parted his garments, casting lots, it is to be understood that they divided one part of them, and for the other part of them they cast lots.

That it might be fulfilled, etc. The words here quoted are found in Ps 22:18. The whole psalm is usually referred to Christ, and is a most striking description of his sufferings and death.

(e) "crucified" Ps 22:16, Mk 15:24, Lk 23:34, Jn 19:24 (f) "spoken by the prophets" Ps 22:18

They watched him there. That is, the four soldiers who had crucified him. They watched him lest his friends should come and release him.

And set up over his head. John says Jn 19:19 that Pilate wrote the title, and put it upon the cross. Probably Pilate wrote it, or caused it to be written, and directed the soldiers to set it up. A man is often said to do what he directs others to do. It was customary to set up over the heads of persons crucified, the crime for which they suffered, and the name of the sufferer. The accusation on which Jesus had been condemned by Pilate, was his claiming to be the King of the Jews.

This is Jesus the King of the Jews. The evangelists differ in the account of this title. Mark Mk 15:26 says it was "the King of the Jews." Luke says, Lk 23:38 this is the King of the Jews." John, Jn 19:19, "Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews." But the difficulty may be easily removed. John says, that the title was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. It is not at all improbable that the inscription varied in these languages. One evangelist may have translated it from the Hebrew; another from the Greek; a third from the Latin; and a fourth have translated one of the inscriptions a little differently from another. Besides, the evangelists all agree, in the main point of the inscription, viz., that he was the King of the Jews.

Two thieves crucified, etc. Rather, two robbers. Pilate did not reside in Jerusalem, When he came there on the great feasts, or at other times, it was, in part, to hold courts for the trial of criminals. These robbers had been probably condemned at that time; and to show greater contempt for Jesus, he was crucified between men of that abandoned character, and on a cross that should have been occupied by their companion and leader, Barabbas.

(g) "crucified" Isa 53:12

Wagging their heads. In token of derision and insult. See Job 16:4, Ps 109:25.

(h) "wagging" Ps 22:7, 109:25

Thou that destroyest the temple, etc. Meaning, thou that didst boast that thou couldest do it. This was one of the things that had been falsely charged on him. It was intended for painful sarcasm and derision. If he could destroy the temple, they thought he might easily come down from the cross.

He saved others. It does not seem probable that they meant to admit that he had actually saved others, but only that he pretended to save them from death by miracles, or that he claimed to be the Messiah and thus affirmed that he could save them. This is therefore, cutting irony.

If he be the King of Israel etc. It may seem strange to some that Jesus did not vindicate by a great miracle his claims to be the Messiah, and come down from the cross. But the time had come for him to make atonement. He had given full and sufficient proof that he was the Christ. The people would have been as little satisfied that he was, if he had come down from the cross. They said this for the purpose of insult; and Jesus chose rather to suffer though his character was assailed, than to work a new miracle for their gratification. He had foretold his death, and the time had come; and now, amidst revilings, and jibes, and curses, and the severe sarcasms of an angry and apparently triumphant priesthood, he chose to die for the sins of the world. To this they added insult to God, profanely calling upon him to interpose by miracle, and save him, if he was his friend. And all this, when their prophets had foretold this very scene, and when they were fulfilling the predictions of their own Scriptures. So wonderful is the way by which God causes his word to be fulfilled.

(k) "let him" Ps 3:2, 22:8, 42:10, 71:11 (l) "he said I" Jn 5:17,18, 10:30,36

Mt 27:42

(k) "let him" Ps 3:2, 22:8, 42:10, 71:11 (l) "he said I" Jn 5:17,18, 10:30,36

The thieves also. The robbers, or highwaymen. Luke says Lk 23:39 that one of them aid it, and that the other reproved him and was penitent. The account in Luke may, however, easily be reconciled with that in Matthew, by supposing that, at first, both of them reviled the Saviour, and that it is of this fact that Matthew speaks. Afterwards one of them relented, and became penitent-- perhaps from witnessing the patient sufferings of Christ. It is of this particularly that Luke speaks. Or it may be, that what is true of one of the malefactors, is by Matthew attributed to both. The evangelists, when for the sake of brevity they avoid particularizing, often attribute to many what is said or done by single persons, meaning no more than that it was done by some one or more of them, without specifying the one. Compare Mk 7:17, with Mt 15:15; Mk 5:31, with Lk 8:45; Lk 9:13, with Jn 6:8,9.

Cast the same in his teeth. This is a most unhappy translation. It means in the original, simply, they upbraided him, or reproached him in the same manner.

Now from the sixth hour. That is, from our twelve o'clock. The Jews divided their day into twelve hours, beginning to count at sunrise.

There was darkness. This could not have been an eclipse of the sun, for the passover was celebrated at the time of the full moon, when the moon is opposite to the sun. Luke says, Lk 23:45, that "the sun was darkened;" but it was not by an eclipse, but, perhaps, by the vapours and clouds that preceded the earthquake. The only cause of this was the interposing power of God--furnishing testimony to the dignity of the Sufferer, and causing the elements to sympathize with the pains of his dying Son. It was also peculiarly proper to furnish this testimony when the Sun of Righteousness was withdrawing his beams for a time, and the Redeemer of men was expiring. A dark, thick cloud, shutting out the light of day, and clothing every object with the darkness of midnight, was the appropriate drapery with which the world should be clad when the Son of God expired, This darkness was noticed by one at least of the pagan writers. Phlegon, a Roman astronomer, speaking of the fourteenth year of the reign of Tiberius, which is supposed to be that in which our Saviour died, says, that "the greatest eclipse of the sun that was ever known happened then, for the day was so turned into night that the stars appeared."

Over all the land, That is, probably over the whole land of Judea, and perhaps some of the adjacent countries. The extent of the darkness is not known.

The ninth hour. Till about three o'clock in the afternoon, at which time the Saviour is supposed to have died.

(m) "darkness" Amos 8:9

Eli, Eli, etc. This language is not pure Hebrew, nor Syriac, but a mixture of both, called commonly Syro-Chaldaic. This was probably the language which he commonly spoke. The words are taken from Ps 22:1.

My God, my God, etc. This expression is one denoting intense suffering. It has been difficult to understand in what sense he was forsaken by God. It is certain that God approved his work. It is certain that Jesus was innocent. He had done nothing to forfeit the favour of God. As his own Son: holy, harmless, undefiled, and obedient-- God still loved him. In either of these senses, God could not have forsaken him. But the expression was probably used in reference to the following circumstances, viz.:

(1.) His great bodily sufferings on the cross, greatly aggravated by his previous scourging, and by the want of sympathy, and by the revilings of his enemies on the cross. A person suffering thus, might address God as if he was forsaken, or given up to extreme anguish,

(2.) He himself said that this was "the power of darkness," Lk 22:53. The time when his enemies, including the Jews and Satan, were suffered to do their utmost. It was said of the serpent, that he should bruise the heel of the seed of the woman, Gen 3:15. By that has been commonly understood to be meant, that though the Messiah should finally crush and destroy the power of Satan, yet he should himself suffer through the power of the devil. When he was tempted, Lk 4:1 it was said that the tempter "departed from him for a season." There is no improbability in supposing that he might be permitted to return at the time of his death, and exercise his power in increasing the sufferings of the Lord Jesus. In what way this might be done, can be only conjectured. It might be by horrid thoughts; by temptation to despair, or to distrust God, who thus permitted his innocent Son to suffer; or by an increased horror of the pains of dying.

(3.) There might have been withheld from the Saviour those strong religious consolations; those clear views of the justice and goodness of God, which would have blunted his pains, and soothed his agonies. Martyrs, under the influence of strong religious feeling have gone triumphantly to the stake; but it is possible that those views might have been withheld from the Redeemer when he came to die. His sufferings were accumulated sufferings: and the design of the atonement seemed to require that he should suffer all that human nature could be made to endure in so short a time. Yet,

(4.) we have reason to think that there was still something more than all this that produced this exclamation. Had there been no deeper and more awful sufferings, it would be difficult to see why Jesus should have shrunk from these sorrows, and used such a remarkable expression. Isaiah tells us, Isa 53:4,5 "He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows. He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." He hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us, Gal 3:13 he was made a sin-offering, 2Cor 5:21 he died in our place, on our account, that he might bring us near to God. It was this, doubtless, which caused his intense sufferings. It was the manifestation of God's hatred of sin to his soul, in some way which he has not explained, that he experienced in that dread hour. It was suffering, endured by him, that was due to us; and suffering by which, and by which alone, we can be saved from eternal death.

(n) "to say" Ps 22:1, Isa 53:10, Lam 1:12

This man calleth for Elias. This was done purposely to deride him and his pretentions to be the Messiah. The words Eli, Eli, they might easily pretend that they understood to mean Elias, or so pervert them. The taunt would be more cutting, because it was the universal belief of the Jews, as well as the doctrine of Christ, that Elias would come before the Messiah. They derided him now, as calling upon Elias, when God would not help him; still keeping up the pretensions to being the Messiah, and invoking Elijah to come from the dead to aid him. Or it is possible that this might have been said by some bystanders, who did not understand the language in which he spoke, or who might not have been near enough to hear him distinctly.

One of them ran. John Jn 19:28 says, that this was in consequence of Jesus saying, "I thirst." One of the effects of crucifixion was excessive thirst.

Took a spunge. A sponge is a well-known porous substance, that easily absorbs water. It was used in this case because, Jesus being elevated, it was difficult to convey a cup to his lips.

Filled it with vinegar. This was the common drink of Roman soldiers. It was a light wine, turned sour, and mixed with water. John says, Jn 19:29 there was a vessel set full of vinegar, probably for the use of the soldiers who watched his crucifixion.

And put it on a reed. John says, it was put upon hyssop. The hyssop was a shrub, growing so large sometimes as to be called a tree, 1Kgs 4:33. The stalk of this was what Matthew calls a reed. The sponge fastened to this could easily be extended to reach the mouth of Jesus. This vinegar Jesus drank, for it was not intended to stupify him, or blunt his sense of pain like the wine and myrrh.

(o) "with vinegar" Ps 69:21

The rest said, etc. Still deriding his sufferings, and refusing to allow even the poor consolation of a drink, to assuage the thirst of the Saviour of the world in his dying agonies.

Cried again with a loud voice. He cried, "It is finished," Jn 19:30. It was in the height of his agony, probably attended with deep groaning, and uttered amidst sorrows which were never else experienced in our world. It finished the work of atonement; made the way of salvation possible; rolled away the curse from guilty men; and opened the kingdom of heaven to all true believers.

Yielded up the ghost. This, though a literal translation, is unhappy. It means, resigned his spirit, or expired. The same phrase is used by the Seventy in describing the death of Rachel, Gen 35:18.

The veil of the temple. This was doubtless the veil, curiously wrought, which separated the holy from the most holy place, dividing the temple into two apartments, Ex 26:31-33.

In twain. In two pieces, or parts. This was the time of day when the priest was burning incense in the holy place, and it is probable that he witnessed it. The most holy place has been usually considered as a type of heaven, and the rending of the veil to signify that the way to heaven was now open to all-- the great high Priest, the Lord Jesus, being about to enter in as the Forerunner of his people. However, about the design of the rending of the veil the Scriptures are silent, and conjecture is useless.

And the earth did quake. Or shook, Earthquakes are violent convulsions of the ground, caused commonly by confined and rarefied air. This was probably, however, a miraculous convulsion of the earth, in attestation of the truth that the Sufferer was the Messiah, the Son of God; and as an exhibition of his wrath at the crimes of those who put him to death. It was not confined to Judea, but was felt in other countries. It is mentioned by Roman writers.

The rocks rent. That is, were torn asunder. Rocks are still seen at Mount Calvary thus rent asunder, which are said to be the ones that were convulsed when the Saviour died.

(p) "veil" Ex 26:31, Lev 16:2,15, 21:23, 2Chr 3:14 (q) "rent in twain" Isa 25:7

And the graves were opened. Graves, or sepulchres, were most commonly made, among the Jews, in solid rocks, or in caves of rocks. The rending of the rocks, therefore, would lay them open. The graves were opened by this earthquake, but the dead in them did not rise till after his resurrection.

And many bodies of the saints--arose. Of course it is not known who these were, nor what became of them. It is probable that they were persons who had recently died, and they appear to have been known in Jerusalem. At least, had the ancient saints risen, they would not have been known, and would not so soon have been credited as those who had recently died.

Which slept. Which had died. The death of saints is often called sleep, Dan 12:2, 1Cor 15:18, 1Thes 4:15.

(r) "And the graves" Isa 25:8, 26:19, Hoss 13:14, Jn 5:25,28 (s) "which slept" Dan 12:2, 1Thes 4:14

And came out of the graves after his resurrection. The narrative of Matthew does not determine whether they came to life before Jesus rose, and remained in the tombs, or came to life after he died. The latter is the probable opinion. There is nothing said of the reason why they were raised. It is not improbable to suppose that it was, amidst the other wonders attending the death of Jesus, to convince the Jews that he was the Messiah. Perhaps some who had been his open friends were raised up now as an attestation, that he in whom they had believed was the Christ. What became of them after they had entered into the city--whether they again died, or ascended to heaven--is not revealed, and conjecture is vain.

The holy city. Jerusalem, called holy because the temple was there; because it was devoted to God, and was the place of their religious solemnities.

(t) "the graves" 1Cor 15:20

Now when the centurion, etc. Centurion, a captain of a hundred soldiers. He was here placed over the band that attended the crucifixion.

They feared greatly. They regarded these things as proof that God was angry, and they were terrified at the prospect that vengeance was coming on them.

Truly this was the Son of God. They had heard, probably, that before Pilate he professed to be the Son of God. Seeing these wonders, they believed that he was true, and that God was now attesting the truth of his professions. The centurion was a heathen, and had probably no very distinct notions of the phrase the Son of God; perhaps understanding by it only that he was like the heathen heroes who had been deified; but he certainly regarded these wonders as proof that he was what he professed to be. In the original it is, "A son of a god;" an expression perfectly suitable to a polytheist, who believed in the existence of many gods. Mk 15:39 says, that they affirmed that "this man was the Son of God." Luke, Lk 23:47 that they said, "Certainly this was a righteous man." These things were said by different persons, or at different periods of his sufferings--one evangelist having recorded one saying, and another another.

(u) "Now when" Mk 15:39, Lk 23:47

Beholding afar off. They were probably not suffered to come near the cross, because it was surrounded by soldiers. They witnessed, with intense feelings, his sufferings from some convenient place as near as they could approach.

Ministering unto him. Attending him, and providing for his wants. While multitudes of men joined in the cry, Crucify him, and forsook him in his trying moments, it does not appear that any of his female followers were thus unfaithful. In the midst of all his trials, and all the contempt poured upon him, they adhered to their Redeemer. Never did female constancy shine more brightly, and never was a happier example set for all who should afterwards believe on him.

(v) "which followed" Lk 8:2,3

Mary Magdalene. Mary of Magdala. She had peculiar cause of attachment to the Saviour, having been relieved by him of a most dreadful calamity, and restored to her right mind, after being possessed by seven devils, Mk 16:9. And the mother of Zebedee's children. That is, of James and John, Mt 10:2. Her name was Salome, Mk 15:40.

When the even was come. That is, some time after three o'clock in the afternoon. Before this, the Jews had besought Pilate that the legs of those who were crucified might be broken, and the bodies be taken down, that they might not remain on the cross during the sabbath. The soldiers coming to Jesus, for that purpose, found that he was already dead, contrary to their expectation. A soldier, however, thrust a spear into his side, and there was furnished the fullest proof that he had expired. Jn 19:31 through verse 37.

A rich man of Arimathaea. It is uncertain where Arimathaea was. There were several cities of that name in Judea. It is commonly supposed to be the same as Rama. Mt 2:18. Luke says that this was a" city of the Jews ;" and it is probable, therefore, that it was in the tribe of Benjamin, and but a short distance from Jerusalem. This man sustained a high character. He was an "honourable counsellor," Mr 15:43; he "waited for the kingdom of God;" he was "a good man, and a just;" he had nobly set himself against the wicked purposes of the sanhedrim, Lk 23:51; he was a disciple of Jesus, though he was not openly his follower, because he feared the Jews, Jn 19:38.

(w) "When the even" Mk 15:42, Lk 23:50, Jn 19:38

He went to Pilate. Because no one had a right to remove the body but the magistrate, he was condemned to be crucified--usually a long and most bitter death; and, in common cases, it would have been unlawful to have removed the body so soon.

He wrapped it in a clean linen cloth. John adds, that this was done with spices, Jn 19:40. The Jews were accustomed to use myrrh, aloes, and other aromatics, in large quantities, when they buried their dead. When they were not regularly embalmed, which was a long and tedious process, they enclosed the spices in the folds of the linen, or wrapped the body in it. Spices were sometimes used in such quantities as to form a heap or bed, on which the dead body was laid. Thus it is said of Asa, (2Chr 16:14,) they "laid him in the bed which was filled with sweet odours and spices," etc. There not being time properly to embalm the body of Jesus, he was buried in this manner. The women who attended him, either not being aware of this or desirous of showing a farther regard for him, returned from the sepulchre on the first day of the week, and prepared other spices with which to embalm him, Lk 23:56, 24:1.

In his own new tomb. John says, (Jn 19:41), that this was in a garden that was in or near the place where he was crucified. This tomb Joseph had prepared for himself, as was not uncommon among the Jews. In this tomb Luke and John inform us that no man had been laid. This was so ordered in the providence of God, doubtless, that there might be no suspicion about his identity when he rose; that it might not be alleged that another person had risen; or that he was raised by touching the bones of some prophet, as happened to the corpse that touched the bones of Elisha, 2Kgs 13:21. Farther, by being buried here, an important prophecy was remarkably fulfilled, (Isa 53:9) "he made his grave--with the rich in his death." The fulfillment of this is the more remarkable, because during his life he associated with the poor, and was himself poor.

Which he had hewn out in the rock. This was a common way of constructing tombs in Judea. Mt 8:28. Being cut out of a rock, there was no way by which the disciples could have access to it but by the entrance, at which the guard was placed, and consequently it was impossible for them to steal him away. The sepulchre, thus secure, was rendered more so by rolling a great stone at its entrance; all possible precautions thus being used, in the providence of God, against imposition and deceit.

(x) "and laid" Isa 53:9

Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation. The first day of the feast of the passover was called the day of preparation, because all things were on that day got in readiness for the observances of the paschal week. The Jewish day closed at sunset, and the sabbath at that time commenced. The next day mentioned here does not mean the following day in our acceptation of the word, or the following morning, but the next day in the Jewish way of speaking; that is, after the next day had commenced, or after sundown. To suppose them to have waited till the next morning would be absurd; as the disciples would be as likely to steal him away the first night as the second.

We remember. They had either heard him say this, or, more probably, had understood that this was one of his doctrines.

That deceiver. One of the charges against him was, that he deceived the people. By this title they still chose to designate him, thinking that his death had fully confirmed the truth of the charges against him.

(y) "deceiver" Jn 7:12,47, 2Cor 6:8 (z) "After three" Mt 16:21, 17:23, 20:19, Lk 24:6,7, Jn 2:19

Until the third day. That is, during two nights and the intervening day. This proves, that when the Jews spoke of three days, they did not of necessity mean three whole days, but parts of three days, as was the case in our Saviour's lying in the grave.

The last error shall be worse than the first. That is, the last deception, or taking him from the tomb, pretending that he rose, shall have a wider influence among the people than the first, or his pretending to be the Messiah.

(a) "steal" Mt 28:13

Ye have a watch. The Jews had a guard or watch of Roman soldiers, who kept watch in the tower of Antonia, on the north-west of the temple. Pilate either referred to these, or to the watch that attended the crucifixion: the whole band that had been appointed for that. As the torments of crucifixion sometimes lasted many days, the band had been probably granted to them during that time, and they were, therefore, still at the direction of the chief priests.

Sealing the stone. The sepulchre was made sure, by affixing the large stone to the entrance in such a way that it could not be removed without detection. It was sealed. In what way this was done cannot now be certainly told. The cave in which Daniel was cast was fastened in the same manner, and sealed with the king's signet, (Dan 6:17) perhaps by fastening the stone in its place with cords, and bringing them together and uniting them with wax, and impressing on that the seal of the king. In this way letters and books were anciently sealed. Possibly on the sepulchre of Jesus was impressed in this manner the seal of Pilate--the seal of office-- making it doubly sure. Or it may be, that the stone was fitted into the tomb with clay or cement, and on that was impressed the seal of Pilate.

Setting a watch. That is, as large a number of soldiers as they judged necessary to secure the tomb.

We cannot but be struck with the wisdom of God, in ordering the circumstances of the Saviour's burial in such a manner as to avoid the possibility of deception. Had all this been done by his friends, it might have been said that they only pretended to secure the tomb, and only pretended that he was dead. But he was adjudged to be dead by the Jews themselves; Pilate was satisfied that that was the fact they had their own way about his burial; he was buried alone; the place of his sepulchre was made sure--expressly to prevent his being removed; and they placed around him a guard, in their own judgment, large enough to prevent his being taken away by force or strength. His very enemies, therefore, took every possible precaution to place his resurrection beyond the possibility of suspicion of fraud and imposture, and were the very means of furnishing the most striking proof that his death, burial, and resurrection were not impositions, but most affecting, awful, and yet cheering realities.

(b) "sealing" Dan 6:27

[In the end of the sabbath.] In the Jerusalem Talmudists it is in the coming forth of the sabbath; vulgarly, in the going out of the sabbath: On a certain eve of the sabbath, namely, when the sabbath began, "there was not wine to be found in all Samaria: but at the end of the sabbath there was found abundance, because the Aramites had brought it, and the Cuthites had received it"...

[Towards the first day of the week.] The Jews reckon the days of the week thus; One day (or the first day) of the sabbath: two (or the second day) of the sabbath: "Two witnesses come and say, The first of the sabbath this man stole, &c., and, on the second day of the sabbath, judgment passed on him."

The third of the sabbath: "A virgin is married on the fourth day of the week; for they provide for the feast the first day of the week. The second day of the week: and the third day of the week."

"On the fourth day of the week they set apart him who was to burn the red heifer."

On the fifth of the sabbath. "Ezra ordained that they should read the law publicly on the second and fifth days of the sabbath, &c. He appointed that judges should sit in the cities on the second and fifth days. Ezra also appointed that they should wash their clothes on the fifth day of the sabbath."

The sixth day they commonly called the eve of the sabbath: "To wash their clothes on the fifth day of the sabbath, and eat onions on the eve of the sabbath." On the fifth day of the sabbath [or week], and the eve of the sabbath, and the sabbath.

The first day of the week, which is now changed into the sabbath or Lord's day, the Talmudists call the Christians', or the Christian day: On the Christians' day it is always forbidden for a Jew to traffic with a Christian. Where the Gloss saith thus: A Nazarene or Christian is he who followeth the error of the man who commanded them "to make the first day of the week a festival day to him: and according to the words of Ismael, it is always unlawful to traffic with them three days before that day and three days after; that is, not at all the week through." We cannot here pass by the words of the Glossers on Babyl. Rosh hashanah; "The Baithusians desire that the first day of the Passover might be on the sabbath, so that the presenting of the sheaf might be on the first day of the week, and the feast of Pentecost on the first day of the week."

With good reason did our blessed Saviour remove the sabbath to this day, the day of his resurrection, the day which the Lord had made, Psalm 118:24, when now the stone which the builders refused was become the head stone of the corner. For,

I. When Christ was to make a new world, or a new creation, it was necessary for him to make a new sabbath. The sabbath of the old creation was not proper for the new.

II. The kingdom of Christ took its beginning principally from the resurrection of Christ: when he had now overcome death and hell. (The Jews themselves confess that the kingdom of the Messiah was to begin with the resurrection of the dead, and the renewing of the world.) Therefore it was very proper that that day from which Christ's kingdom took its beginning should pass into the sabbath, rather than the old sabbath, the memorial of the creation.

III. That old sabbath was not instituted till after the giving the promise of Christ, Genesis 3:15; and the rest of God on that seventh day was chiefly in having perfected the new creation in Christ; that also was the sabbatical rest of Adam. When therefore that was accomplished which was then promised, namely, the bruising of the serpent's head by the resurrection of Christ, and that was fulfilled which was typified and represented in the old sabbath, namely, the finishing of a new creation, the sabbath could not but justly be transferred to that day on which these things were done.

IV. It was necessary that the Christians should have a sabbath given them distinct from the sabbath of the Jews, that a Christian might be thereby distinguished from a Jew. For as the law took great care to provide that a Jew might be distinguished from a heathen; so it was provided by the gospel with the like care, that partly by the forsaking of those rites, partly by the bringing in of different manners and observances, a Christian might be distinguished from a Jew. The law was not more solicitous to mark out and separate a Jew from a heathen by circumcision than the gospel hath been that by the same circumcision a Christian should not Judaize. And the same care it hath deservedly taken about the sabbath: for since the Jews, among other marks of distinction, were made of a different colour, as it were, from all nations, by their keeping the sabbath, it was necessary, that by the bringing in of another sabbath (since of necessity a sabbath must be kept up), that Christians might be of a different colour from the Jews.

[Hanged himself.] Strangulatus est, was strangled: namely, by the devil, who had now been in him three days together. The words of Peter, Acts 1:18, do not suffer me to understand this of hanging himself. Falling headlong he burst asunder in the midst. Interpreters take a great deal of pains to make these words agree with his hanging himself; but indeed all will not do. I know the word is commonly applied to a man's hanging himself, but not to exclude some other way of strangling. And I cannot but take the story (with good leave of antiquity) in this sense: After Judas had thrown down the money, the price of his treason, in the Temple, and was now returning again to his mates, the devil, who dwelt in him, caught him up on high, strangled him, and threw him down headlong; so that dashing upon the ground, he burst in the midst, and his guts issued out, and the devil went out in so horrid an exit. This certainly agrees very well with the words of Peter now mentioned, and also with those that follow, "This was known to all that dwelt at Jerusalem." It agrees also very well with the deserts of the wicked wretch, and with the title of Iscariot. The wickedness he had committed was above all example, and the punishment he suffered was beyond all precedent. There had been many instances of persons who had hanged themselves; this would not so much have stirred up the people of Jerusalem to take notice of it, as such a strangling and throwing down headlong, which we suppose horrible above measure, and singular beyond example. See what we have said at the tenth chapter concerning the word Iscariot.

[All hail.] In the vulgar dialect of the Jews, "The Rabbins saw a certain holy man of Caphar Immi, and said All hail." How do they salute an Israelite? All hail.

[They held him by the feet.] This seems to have been done to kiss his feet. So 2 Kings 4:27. For this was not unusual: "As R. Janni and R. Jonathan were sitting together, a certain man came and kissed the feet of R. Jonathan." Compare the evangelists here, and you will find that this was done by Mary Magdalene only, who formerly had kissed Christ's feet, and who had gone twice to the sepulchre, however Matthew makes mention but of once going. The story, in short, is thus to be laid together: At the first dawning of the morning Christ arose, a great earthquake happening at that time. About the same time Magdalene and the other women left their houses to go to the sepulchre: while they met together and made all things ready, and took their journey to the tomb, the sun was up. When they were come, they are informed of his resurrection by the angels, and sent back to the disciples. The matter being told to the disciples, Peter and John run to the sepulchre; Magdalene also followed after them. They having seen the signs of the resurrection return to their company, but she stays there. Being ready to return back, Christ appears to her, she supposing him to be the gardener. As soon as she knew him, she worships him; and embracing his feet, kisseth them. And this is the history before us, which Matthew relates in the plural number, running it over briefly and compendiously, according to his manner.

[Barabbas.] Bar Abba, a very usual name in the Talmudists: "R. Samuel Barabba, and R. Nathan Barabba." Abba Bar Abba, In the Jerusalem dialect it is very often uttered Bar Ba: "Simeon Bar Ba." "R. Chaijah Bar Ba." This brings to my mind what Josephus relates to have been done in the besieging of the city, When huge stones were thrown against the city by the Roman slings, some persons sitting in the towers gave the citizens warning by a sign to take heed, crying out in the vulgar dialect, 'The Son cometh,' that is, Bar Ba. The Son of man indeed then came in the glory of his justice and his vengeance, as he had often foretold, to destroy that most wicked and profligate nation.

[Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them, &c.] I. The enclosure is now thrown down, whereby the apostles were kept in from preaching the gospel to all the Gentiles, Matthew 10:5. For, first, the Jews had now lost their privilege, nor were they henceforward to be counted a peculiar people; nay, they were now become "Lo-ammi." They had exceeded the heathens in sinning, they had slighted, trampled upon, and crucified the Creator himself, appearing visibly before their eyes in human flesh; while the heathens had only conceived amiss of the Creator, whom they neither had seen nor could see, and thereby fallen to worship the creature. Secondly, Christ had now by his blood paid a price for the heathens also. Thirdly, he had overcome Satan, who held them captive. Fourthly, he had taken away the wall of partition: and fifthly, had exhibited an infinite righteousness.

II. Make disciples. Bring them in by baptism, that they may be taught. They are very much out, who from these words cry down infant-baptism, and assert that it is necessary for those that are to be baptized to be taught before they are baptized. 1. Observe the words here, make disciples; and then after, teaching, in the twentieth verse. 2. Among the Jews, and also with us, and in all nations, those are made disciples that they may be taught. A certain heathen came to the great Hillel, and saith, Make me a proselyte, that thou mayest teach me. He was first to be proselyted, and then to be taught. Thus first, make them disciples by baptism; and then, teach them to observe all things, &c.

III. Baptizing. There are divers ends of baptism:--1. According to the nature of a sacrament it visibly teacheth invisible things, that is, the washing of us from all our pollutions by the blood of Christ, and by the cleansing of grace, Ezekiel 36:25. 1. According to the nature of a sacrament, it is a seal of divine truth. So circumcision is called, Romans 4:11; "And he received the sign of circumcision, the seal of the righteousness of faith," &c. So the Jews, when they circumcised their children, gave this very title to circumcision. The words used when a child was circumcised you have in their Talmud. Among other things, he who is to bless the action saith thus, "Blessed be he who sanctified him that was beloved from the womb, and set a sign in his flesh, and sealed his children with the sign of the holy covenant," &c.

But in what sense are sacraments to be called seals? Not that they seal (or confirm) to the receiver his righteousness; but that they seal the divine truth of the covenant and promise. Thus the apostle calls circumcision 'the seal of the righteousness of faith': that is, it is the seal of this truth and doctrine, that 'justification is by faith,' which righteousness Abraham had when he was yet uncircumcised. And that is the way whereby sacraments confirm faith, namely, because they do doctrinally exhibit the invisible things of the covenant; and, like seals, do by divine appointment sign the doctrine and truth of the covenant. 3. According to the nature of a sacrament, it obligeth the receivers to the terms of the covenant: for as the covenant itself is of mutual obligation between God and man; so the sacraments, the seals of the covenant, are of like obligation. 4. According to its nature, it is an introductory into the visible church. And, 5. It is a distinguishing sign between a Christian and no Christian, namely, between those who acknowledge and profess Christ, and Jews, Turks, and Pagans, who do not acknowledge him. Disciple all nations, baptizing. When they are under baptism, they are no longer under heathenism; and this sacrament puts a difference between those who are under the discipleship of Christ, and those who are not. 6. Baptism also brings its privilege along with it, while it opens the way to a partaking of holy things in the church, and placeth the baptized within the church, over which God exerciseth a more singular providence than over those that are out of the church.

And now, from what hath been said, let us argue a little in behalf of infant-baptism. Omitting that argument which is commonly raised form the words before us, namely, that when Christ had commanded to baptize all nations, infants also are to be taken in as parts of the family, these few things may be observed:

I. Baptism, as a sacrament, is a seal of the covenant. And why, I pray, may not this seal be set on infants? The seal of divine truth hath sometimes been set upon inanimate things, and that by God's appointment. The bow in the cloud is a seal of the covenant: the law engraven on the altar, Joshua 8, was a seal of the covenant. The blood sprinkled on the twelve pillars that were set up to represent the twelve tribes was a seal and bond of the covenant, Exodus 24. And now tell me, why are not infants capable, in like manner, of such a sealing? They were capable heretofore of circumcision; and our infants have an equal capacity. The sacrament doth not lose this its end, through the indisposition of the receiver. Peter and Paul, apostles, were baptized: their baptism, according to its nature, sealed to them the truth of God in his promises concerning the washing away of sins, &c. And they, from this doctrinal virtue of the sacrament, received confirmation of their faith. So also Judas and Simon Magus, hypocrites, wicked men, were baptized: did not their baptism, according to the nature of it, seal this doctrine and truth, "that there as a washing away of sins?" It did not, indeed, seal the thing itself to them; nor was it at all a sign to them of the 'washing away' of theirs: but baptism doth in itself seal this doctrine. You will grant that this axiom is most true, "Abraham received the sign of circumcision, the seal of the righteousness of faith." And is not this equally true? Esau, Ahab, Ahaz, received the sign of circumcision, the seal of the righteousness of faith: is not circumcision the same to all? Did not circumcision, to whomsoever it was administered, sign and seal this truth, that there 'was a righteousness of faith'? The sacrament hath a sealing virtue in itself, that doth not depend on the disposition of the receiver.

II. Baptism, as a sacrament, is an obligation. But now infants are capable of being obliged. Heirs are sometimes obliged by their parents, though they are not yet born: see also Deuteronomy 29:11,15. For that to which any one is obliged obtains a right to oblige from the equity of the thing, and not from the apprehension of the person obliged. The law is imposed upon all under this penalty, "Cursed be every one that doth not continue in all," &c. It is ill arguing from hence, that a man hath power to perform the law; but the equity of the thing itself is very well argued hence. Our duty obligeth us to every thing which the law commands; but we cannot perform the least tittle of it.

III. An infant is capable of privileges, as well as an old man; and baptism is privilegial. An infant hath been crowned king in his cradle: an infant may be made free who is born a salve. The Gemarists speak very well in this matter; "Rabh Houna saith, They baptize an infant proselyte by the command of the bench." Upon what is this grounded? On this, that baptism becomes a privilege to him. And they may endow an absent person with a privilege: or they may bestow a privilege upon one, though he be ignorant of it. Tell me then, why an infant is not capable of being brought into the visible church, and of receiving the distinguishing sign between a Christian and a heathen, as well as a grown person.

IV. One may add, that an infant is part of his parent: upon this account, Genesis 17:14, an infant is to be cut off if he be not circumcised, when, indeed, the fault is his parents'; because thus the parents are punished in a part of themselves, by the cutting off of their child. And hence is that of Exodus 20:5, "Visiting the sins of the fathers upon the children," because children are a part of their fathers, &c. From hence ariseth also a natural reason of infant-baptism: the infants of baptized parents are to be baptized, because they are part of them, and that the whole parents may be baptized. And upon this account they used of old, with good reason, to baptize the whole family, with the master of it.

[In the name of the Father, &c.] I. Christ commands them to go and baptize the nations; but how much time was past before such a journey was taken! And when the time was now come that this work should be begun, Peter doth not enter upon it without a previous admonition given him from heaven. And this was occasioned hereby, that, according to the command of Christ, the gospel was first to be preached to Judea, Samaria, and Galilee.

II. He commands them to baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: but among the Jews they baptized only in the name of Jesus; which we have observed before, from Acts 2:38, 8:16, 19:5. For this reason, that thus the baptizers might assert, and the baptized confess, Jesus to be the true Messias; which was chiefly controverted by the Jews.

Of the same nature is that apostolic blessing, "Grace and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ." Where then is the Holy Ghost? He is not excluded, however he be not named. The Jews did more easily consent to the Spirit of the Messias, which they very much celebrate, than to the person of the Messias. Above all others, they deny and abjure Jesus of Nazareth. It belonged to the apostles, therefore, the more earnestly to assert Jesus (to be the Messias), by how much the more vehemently they opposed him: which being once cleared, the acknowledging of the Spirit of Christ would be introduced without delay or scruple. Moses (in Exodus 6:14) going about to reckon up all the tribes of Israel, goes no further than the tribe of Levi only; and takes up with that to which his business and story at that present related. In like manner the apostles, for the present, baptize in the name of Jesus, bless in the name of the Father and of Jesus, that thereby they might more firmly establish the doctrine of Jesus, which met with such sharp and virulent opposition; which doctrine being established among them, they would soon agree about the Holy Ghost.

III. Among the Jews, the controversy was about the true Messiah; among the Gentiles, about the true God; it was, therefore, proper among the Jews to baptize in the name of Jesus, that he might be vindicated to be the true Messias: among the Gentiles, In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, that they might be hereby instructed in the doctrine of the true God. Hear this, O Arian and Socinian!

IV. The Jews baptized proselytes into the name of the Father, that is, into the profession of God, whom they called by the name of Father. The apostles baptize the Jews into the name of Jesus, the Son: and the Gentiles, into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

V. The Father hath revealed himself in the old covenant, the Son in the new; in human flesh, by his miracles, doctrine, resurrection, and ascension; the Holy Ghost, in his gifts and miracles. Thus the doctrine of the ever-blessed Trinity grew by degrees to full maturity: for the arriving at the acknowledgment of which it was incumbent upon all who professed the true God to be three in one to be baptized into his name.

[When he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.] Such was the custom of the Romans towards those that were to be crucified: Whom after he had beaten with whips, he crucified. And a little after, To be whipped before the judgment seat, and to be nailed to the cross.

[A reed in his right hand.] See those fictions in Tanchum [fol. 59. 4.], concerning an angel that appeared in the shape of Solomon: In whose hand there was a reed: and whom they struck with a reed.

[Led him away to crucify him.] These things are delivered in Sanhedrim, of one that is guilty of stoning: "If there be no defence found for him, they lead him out to be stoned, and a crier went before, saying aloud thus, 'N. the son of N. comes out to be stoned, because he hath done so and so. The witnesses against him are N. and N.: whosoever can bring any thing in his defence, let him come forth and produce it.'" On which thus the Gemara of Babylon: "The tradition is, that on the evening of the Passover Jesus was hanged, and that a crier went before him for forty days making this proclamation, 'This man comes forth to be stoned, because he dealt in sorceries, and persuaded and seduced Israel; whosoever knows of any defence for him, let him come forth and produce it': but no defence could be found, therefore they hanged him on the evening of the Passover. Ulla saith, His case seemed not to admit of any defence, since he was a seducer, and of such God hath said, 'Thou shalt not spare him, neither shalt thou conceal him,'" Deuteronomy 13:8.

They led him that was to be stoned out of the city, Acts 7:58: so also him that was to be crucified: "The place of stoning was without the three camps; for at Jerusalem there were three camps," (namely, God's, the Levites', and the people's, as it was in the encamping in the wilderness:) "and in every city also where there was a council," (namely, of twenty-three,) "the place of stoning was without the city. For all cities that have walls bear a resemblance to the camp of Israel."

Because Jesus was judged at a heathen tribunal, therefore a death is inflicted on him not usual with the Jewish council, namely, crucifixion. In several things the circumstances and actions belonging to his death differed from the custom of the Jews in putting persons to death.

1. They never judge two on the same day. But here, besides Christ, are two thieves judged.

2. They never carried one that was to be hanged to hanging till near sunset: They stay till near sunset, and then they pass sentence, and execute him. And the reason is given by the Glosser; "They do not perfect his judgment, nor hang him in the morning, lest they should neglect his burial, and happen to forget themselves," and the malefactor should hang till after sunset; "but near sunsetting, so that they may bury him out of hand." But Christ was sentenced to death before noon; and at noon was nailed to the cross. For,

3. They first put the condemned person to death, and then hanged him upon a tree: but the custom of the (Roman) empire is first to hang them, and then to put them to death.

4. They did not openly lament for those that were led forth to be put to death; but for Jesus they did, Luke 23:27,28. The reason of this difference is not to be sought from the kind of the death, but from the persons: They did not bewail for a person led out to execution, but they lamented inwardly in their hearts. You will wonder at the reason which the Gloss thus gives you: "They did not openly bewail him, upon this account, that his being vilified" [when nobody openly lamented him] "might help to atone for him; but they sorrowed for him in their hearts; for this did not tend to his honour, nor lessen the atonement." Those were better instructed, who lamented for Christ both as to the thing and person.

[Golgotha.] Beza pretends that this is written amiss for Golgoltha, when yet it is found thus written in all copies. But the good man censures amiss; since such a leaving out of letters in many Syriac words is very usual: you have this word thus written without the second [l], by the Samaritan interpreter, in the first chapter of Numbers.

[They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall.] "To those that were to be executed they gave a grain of myrrh infused in wine to drink, that their understanding might be disturbed," (that is, that they might lose their senses); "as it is said, 'Give strong drink to them that are ready to die, and wine to those that are of a sorrowful heart,' &c. And the tradition is, That some women of quality in Jerusalem allowed this freely of their own cost," &c.

But it makes a scruple that in Matthew it is vinegar with gall; in Mark wine mingled with myrrh. If wine, why is it called vinegar? If wine mingled with myrrh, why gall? Ans. The words of Mark seem to relate to the custom of the nation; those of Matthew, to the thing as it was really acted. I understand Mark thus, They gave him, according to the custom of the nation, that cup which used to be given to those that were led to execution; but (as Matthew has it) not the usual mixture; namely, wine and frankincense, or myrrh; but for the greater mockery, and out of more bitter rancour, vinegar and gall. So that we may suppose this cup not to have been prepared by those honourable women, compassionating those that were to die, but on purpose by the scribes, and the other persecutors of Christ, studying to heap upon him all kind of ignominy and vexation. In this cup they afterward dipped a sponge, as may be supposed: see the 48th verse.

[Parted my garments.] Of stoning, we have this account; "When he is now four cubits from the place of stoning, they strip him of his clothes; and if it be a man, they hang a cloth before him; if a woman, both before and behind. These are the words of R. Juda: but the wise say, A man is stoned naked, a woman not naked." So that it is plain enough he was crucified naked.

[Two thieves.] See, in Josephus, who they were that, at that time, were called thieves, and how much trouble and pains the governors of Judea were at to restrain and root out this cursed sort of men: "One Simon, straggling about with the robbers with whom he associated, burnt the palaces in Jericho." "[Felix] having caught the chief robber Eleazar, who for twenty years had wasted the country with fire and sword, sent him to Rome, and many others with him." "Another kind of robbers sprang up in Jerusalem, called sicarii, who slew men in the day time, and in the midst of the city," &c.

There is a rule set down, and the art shewed, of discovering and apprehending robbers: "Go to the victualling-houses at the fourth hour" (the Gloss, "That was the hour of eating, and they went all to the victualling-houses to eat"); "and if you see there a man drinking wine, and holding the cup in his hand, and sleeping, &c., he is a thief; lay hold on him," &c.

Among the monsters of the Jewish routs, preceding the destruction of the city, the multitude of robbers, and the horrible slaughters committed by them, deservedly claim the first consideration; which, next to the just vengeance of God against that most wicked nation, you may justly ascribe to divers originals.

1. It is no wonder, if that nation abounded beyond measure with a vagabond, dissolute, and lewd sort of young men; since, by means of polygamy, and the divorces of their wives at pleasure, and the nation's unspeakable addictedness to lasciviousness and whoredoms, there could not but continually spring up bastards, and an offspring born only to beggary or rapine, as wanting both sustenance and ingenuous education.

2. The foolish and sinful indulgence of the council could not but nurse up all kind of broods of wicked men, while they scarce ever put any one to death, though never so wicked, as being an Israelite; who must not by any means be touched.

3. The opposition of the Zealots to the Roman yoke made them study only to mischief the Romans, and do all the mischief they could to those Jews that submitted to them.

4. The governors of Judea did often, out of policy, indulge a licentiousness to such kind of rapines, that they might humble that people they so much hated, and which was continually subject to insurrections, by beating them, as it were, with their own clubs; and sometimes getting a share in the booty. Thus Josephus concerning Florus: "He spoiled all the people, and he did in effect proclaim, that all might go out in the country to rob, that he might receive a share in the spoils." And thus a sword, that first came out of their own bowels, was sheathed in them.

[Wagging their heads.] To shake the head, with the Rabbins, signifies irreverence and lightness.

[Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani.] I. All the rout indeed and force of hell was let loose at that time against Christ, without either bridle or chain: he calls it himself, the power of darkness, Luke 22:53. God who had foretold of old, that the serpent should bruise the heel of the promised seed, and now that time is come, had slackened the devil's chain, which, in regard of men, the Divine Providence used to hold in his hand; so that all the power and all the rancour of hell might, freely and without restraint, assault Christ; and that all that malice that was in the devil against the whole elect of God, summed up and gathered together into one head, might at one stroke and onset be brandished against Christ without measure.

II. Our most blessed Saviour, therefore, feeling such torments as either hell itself, or the instruments of hell, men conspiring together in villainy and cruelty, could pour out upon him, cries out, under the sharpness of the present providence, "My God! my God! why hast thou delivered me up and left me to such assaults, such bitternesses, and such merciless hands?" The Talmudists bring in Esther using such an ejaculation, which is also cited in the Gloss on Joma: "Esther stood in the inner court of the palace. R. Levi saith, When she was now just come up to the idol-temple, the divine glory departed from her: therefore she said, Eli, Eli, lamma azabhtani."

47,49. Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man

[This man calleth for Elias. Let us see whether Elias will come to save him.] That Christ here used the Syriac dialect, is plain from the word sabachthani: but the word Eli, Eli, is not so properly Syriac: and hence arose the error and misconstruction of the standers by. In Syriac he should have said, Mari, Mari: but Eli was strange to a Syrian ear: this deceived the standers-by, who, having heard more than enough of the apparitions of Elias from the Jewish fables, and being deceived by the double meaning of the word, supposed that Christ was tainted with the same folly and mistake, and called out to Elias for help; which it was no strange thing for that deluded people to expect.

[The veil of the Temple was rent in twain, &c.] Let us hear what the Fathers of the Traditions say concerning this catapetasm or veil: "The wall of the pronaon was five cubits, the pronaon itself eleven. The wall of the Temple was six, the Temple forty. The taraxis one cubit, and the entrance, twenty." What taraxis means, Maimonides will tell you; "In the first Temple there was a wall one cubit thick, separating the Holy from the Holy of Holies; but when they built the second Temple, it was doubted whether the thickness of that wall should be accounted to belong to the measure of the Holy, or to the measure of the Holy of Holies. Wherefore they made the Holy of Holies twenty cubits complete, and the Holy forty cubits complete; and they left a void cubit between the Holy and the Holy of Holies, but they did not build any wall there in the second Temple: only they made two hangings, one contiguous to the Holy of Holies, and the other to the Holy; between which there was a void cubit, according to the thickness of the wall that was in the first Temple; in which there was but one catapetasm [or veil] only."

"The high priest [on the day of atonement] goes forward in the Temple, till he comes to the two hangings that divide the Holy from the Holy of Holies, between which there was a cubit. R. Josi saith, There was but one hanging there; as it is said, 'And the hanging shall separate [to, or] between the Holy and the Holy of Holies.'" On which words thus the Gemara of Babylon: "R. Josi saith rightly to the Rabbins, and the Rabbins to thee: for he speaks of the tabernacle, and they, of the second Temple; in which since there was not a partition-wall, as there was in the first Temple, there was some doubt made of its holiness, namely, whether it should belong to the outward part of the Temple or to the inward; whereupon they made two hangings."

While, therefore, their minds were troubled about this affair, not knowing whether they should hang the veil at the Temple, or at the inmost recess of it, and whether the void space between of a cubit thick should belong to this or that; they called the place itself by the Greek word taraxis, that is, trouble, as Aruch plainly affirms, and they hung up two veils, that they might be sure to offend neither against this part nor that.

You will wonder, therefore, that Matthew doth not say veils, in the plural; or perhaps you will think that only one of these two veils was rent, not both. But it was enough for the evangelists Matthew and Mark, who speak of this miracle, to have shewed that that fence between, which hindered seeing into the Holy of Holies, and going into it, was cleft and broken. This is it they mean, not being solicitous in explaining particulars, but contented to have declared the thing itself. Perhaps the priest, who offered the incense that evening, was in the Temple at the very moment when this miracle happened: and when he went out amazed to the people, and should tell them, The veil of the Temple is rent it would easily be understood of a passage broken into the Holy of Holies by some astonishing and miraculous rending of the hangings. Compare Hebrews 10:19,20.

When the high priest went into the inmost recess of the Temple on the day of atonement, he went in by the south side of the outward hanging, and the north side of the inner. But now both are rent in the very middle, and that from the top to the bottom.

[And many bodies of saints which slept arose.] You can hardly impute the rending of the hangings to the earthquake, but it must be ascribed rather to another peculiar miracle; since it is more proper for an earthquake to break hard things than soft, and to rend rocks rather than curtains. Rocks were rent by it in those places where sepulchres had been built, so that now the gates of the resurrection were thrown open, the bonds of the grave were unloosed, and the bodies of dead men were made ready, as it were, for their rising again when Christ, the firstfruits, was raised. The Jews had a fancy that the kingdom of the Messias would begin with the resurrection of the dead, as we have noted before; vainly indeed, as to their sense of it; but not without some truth, as to the thing itself: for from the resurrection of Christ the glorious epoch of the kingdom of God took its beginning, as we said before (which he himself also signifieth in those words Matthew 26:29); and when he arose, not a few others arose with him. What they thought of the resurrection that was to be in the days of Messias, besides those things which we have already mentioned, you may see and smile at in this one example: "R. Jeremiah commanded, 'When you bury me, put shoes on my feet, and give me a staff in my hand, and lay me on one side; that when the Messias comes I may be ready.'"

[Truly this was the Son of God.] That is, "This was indeed the Messias." Howsoever the Jews deny the Son of God in that sense in which we own it, that is, as the second Person in the Holy Trinity, yet they acknowledge the Messias for the Son of God (not indeed by nature, but by adoption and deputation; see Matthew 26:63), from those places, 1 Chronicles 17:13; Psalm 2:12, 89:26,27, and such-like. The centurion had learned this from the people by conversing among them, and, seeing the miracles which accompanied the death of Christ, acknowledged him to be the Messias of whom he had heard so many and great things spoken by the Jews. In Luke we have these words spoken by him, "Certainly this was a righteous man": which, I suppose, were not the same with these words before us; but that both they and these were spoken by him, "Certainly this was a righteous man: truly this was the Messias, the Son of God." Such are the words of Nathanael, John 1:49, "Thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel." Peter, when he declared that "Christ was the Son of the living God," Matthew 16:16, spoke this in a more sublime sense than the Jews either owned or knew; as we have said at that place.

[Mary Magdalene.] That Magdalene was the same with Mary the sister of Lazarus Baronius proves at large; whom see. It is confirmed enough from this very place; for if Mary Magdalene was not the same with Mary the sister of Lazarus, then either Mary the sister of Lazarus was not present at the crucifixion of Christ, and at his burial, or else she is passed over in silence by the evangelists; both which are improbable. Whence she was called Magdalene, doth not so plainly appear; whether from Magdala, a town on the lake of Gennesaret, or from the word which signifies a plaiting or curling of the hair, a thing usual with harlots. Let us see what is spoken by the Talmudists concerning Mary Magdala, who, they say, was mother of Ben Satda:

"They stoned the son of Satda in Lydda, and they hanged him up on the evening of the Passover. Now this son of Satda was son of Pandira. Indeed, Rabh Chasda said, 'The husband [of his mother] was Satda; her husband was Pandira; her husband was Papus the son of Juda: but yet I say his mother was Satda, namely, Mary, the plaiter of women's hair; as they say in Pombeditha, she departed from her husband.'" These words are also repeated in Schabath: "Rabh Bibai, at a time when the angel of death was with him, said to his officer, Go, bring me Mary the plaiter of women's hair. He went and brought to him Mary, the plaiter of young men's hair," &c. The Gloss; "The angel of death reckoned up to him what he had done before: for this story of Mary, the plaiter of women's hair, was under the second Temple, for she was the mother of N., as it is said in Schabath." See the Gloss there at the place before quoted.

"There are some who find a fly in their cup, and take it out and will not drink; such was Papus Ben Judas, who locked the door upon his wife, and went out." Where the Glosser says thus; "Papus Ben Juda was the husband of Mary, the plaiter of women's hair; and when he went out of his house into the street, he locked his door upon his wife, that she might not speak with anybody; which, indeed, he ought not to have done: and hence sprang a difference between them, and she broke out into adulteries."

I pronounce 'Ben Satda,' not that I am ignorant that it is called 'Ben Stada' by very learned men. The reason of our thus pronouncing it we fetch from hence, that we find he was called Ben Sutdah by the Jerusalem Talmudists; to which the word Satda more agrees than Stada. By the like agreement of sounds they call the same town both Magdala, and Mugdala, as we have observed elsewhere.

As they contumeliously reflect upon the Lord Jesus under the name of Ben Satda, so there is a shrewd suspicion that, under the name of Mary Magdala, they also cast reproach upon Mary Magdalene. The title which they gave their Mary is so like this of ours, that you may with good reason doubt whether she was called Magdalene from the town Magdala, or from that word of the Talmudists, a plaiter of hair. We leave it to the learned to decide.

[Joses.] Josi; a very usual name in the Talmudists: "Five were called Be R. Josi, Ismael, Lazar, Menahem, Chelpatha, Abdimus." Also, "R. Jose Ben R. Chaninah," &c. One may well inquire why this Mary is called the mother of 'James and Joses,' and not also of 'Judas and Simon,' as Mark 6:3.

[Begged the body of Jesus.] It was not lawful to suffer a man to hang all night upon a tree, Deuteronomy 21:23: nay, nor to lie all night unburied: "Whosoever suffers a dead body to lie all night unburied violates a negative precept. But they that were put to death by the council were not to be buried in the sepulchres of their fathers; but two burying-places were appointed by the council, one for those that were slain by the sword and strangled, the other for those that were stoned [who also were hanged] and burnt." There, according to the custom, Jesus should have been buried, had not Joseph, with a pious boldness, begged of Pilate that he might be more honourably interred: which the fathers of the council, out of spite to him, would hardly have permitted, if they had been asked; and yet they did not use to deny the honour of a funeral to those whom they had put to death, if the meanness of the common burial would have been a disgrace to their family. As to the dead person himself, they thought it would be better for him to be treated dishonourably after death, and to be neither lamented nor buried; for this vilifying of him they fancied amounted to some atonement for him; as we have seen before. And yet, to avoid the disgrace of his family, they used, at the request of it, to allow the honour of a funeral.

The foregoing chapter gave us an account of Judas's treason, in delivering our Saviour into the hands of the chief priests unto Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor, in order to his arraignment and condemnation.

Whence observe, that it has been the old policy of corrupt church governors to abuse the power of the civil magistrate, in executing their cruel and unjust censures upon holy and innocent persons. The chief priests and elders do not kill our Saviour themselves, but they deliver him over to the secular power, and desire Pilate, the civil magistrate, to sentence and condemn him, which soon after we shall find he did. They bound him, and led him away; but what need was there of binding him, that never made any resistance? And O, what ingratitude was it to bind him with cords, who came to unloose those bands of sins wherewith we were bound.

Here we have a sad relation of Judas's desperate death, after an hypocritical life, as also of the horror of his mind and conscience before his death.

Observe here, 1. The time when Judas repented; after it was too late. When he saw that he was condemned, he repented.

Observe, 2. The repentance itself, in the several parts and branches of it; he was sorrowful for the fact, he made confession of his sin, and made restitution for the wrong done. He repented, saying, I have sinned; and cast down the thirty pieces of silver.

Learn thence, that a wicked man, when conscience is thoroughly awakened, may make confession of his sin, express some sorrow for it, and endeavour also the making of some satisfaction and restitution for the wrong and injury done by it. They that mourn for sin as sin; they that mourn more for the intrinsic evil that is in sin, than for the penal or consequential evils that follow sin; they that confess sin voluntarily and freely, particularly, penitently, believingly, with an eye of sorrow upon their Saviour; they that make restitution as an act of obedience to the command of God, and as an act of justice and righteousness to their neighbour; such persons' repentance shall find acceptance with God.

Observe, 3. The answer and reply which the wicked high priests and elders make to despairing Judas.

1. They excuse themselves, What is that to us? It is natural to all sinners to shift sin from themselves, and to lay it at any door rather than their own. Those that have had a share in the pleasure and profit of sin, are yet very desirous to throw the odium and guilt of it upon others. What is that to us? say these monsters in sin. O wonderful stupidity! could they think it nothing to them to hire a man to betray innocent blood? Was not the money given, the price of blood, and the field they bought called the field of blood? yet do they impudently say, What is that to us?

2. As they excuse and acquit themselves, so they load and burden him; Look thou to that. Lord! What miserable comforters are companions in sin to one another, when distress and sorrow comes upon them. When sin comes to be questioned, in order to its being punished, every sinner is for shifting for himself, and leaves his fellow in the lurch. Let us then remember the words of the Holy Ghost, He that walketh with wise men shall be wise, but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.

How jolly soever sinners are together, when in the height of their lusts, they are but miserable comforters to one another upon a sick-bed, or under the lashes of an awakened conscience. But though they may avoid each other now, there is a time coming when it will be impossible; at the great day, the sinner shall see both his companions in sin, then here, the vilest of monsters.

Observe, 4. The sad and fatal end of Judas; He went forth and hanged himself. Horror and despair took hold upon him, and seized his conscience; which was so intolerable that he ran to the halter for a remedy.

Learn thence, 1. That conscience is a powerful, though invisible executioner; the wrath of man may be endured, but the wrath of God is insupportable, and the eruptions of conscience are irresistible. O how intolerable are those scourges that lash us in this tender and vital part! Judas, awakened with the horror of his fact, conscience begins to rouse, and the man is unable to bear up under the furious revenge of his own mind.

There is an active principle in men's breasts and bosoms, which seldom suffers daring sinners to pass in quiet to their graves. Guilt is naturally troublesome and uneasy; it disturbs the peace and serenity of the mind, and fills the soul with storms and thunder, both in life and death! How vainly did Judas hope to take sanctuary in a grave, and to meet with that ease in another world which he could not find in this. Thus ended this miserable man, Judas.

Behold! ye professors of religion, the terrible example of God's justice on a deceitful hypocrite. Behold! a disciple, and apostle, first a traitor, and then a self-murderer. Behold! Judas, once shining in the robes of a glorious profession, now shining in the flames of God's eternal wrath and vengeance.

Lord! how earnest ought we to be for thy preserving grace, when neither the presence, the miracles, the sermons, the sacraments of Christ, could preserve and secure a professor, a disciple, and apostle, from the fatal mischief of a ruinous apostasy. Let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall.

Observe here, 1. The niceness and scrupulosity of these hypocrites; they made no scruple to give money to shed blood, but they scruple the putting that money into the treasury which was the price of blood. They are afraid to defile their treasury, but are not afraid to pollute their souls. Thus hypocrites strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel; scruple a ceremony, but make no conscience of murder and perjury.

Observe, 2. The use which they put this mount to, which Judas brought them; they bought with it a field to bury strangers in. Thus Christ, who was himself a stranger in a borrowed grave, by the price of his blood (being thirty pieces of silver) conferred graves on many strangers.

Observe, lastly, how the wisdom of God ordered it, that hereby a scrupture prophecy might be fulfilled, Zech 11:13. "They weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver, and I took and cast them unto the potter."

Whence learn, that all the indignities and abasing suffering which the Lord Jesus under went, were not only fore-ordained by God, but also fore told by the holy prophets; his being scourged, buffeted, spit upon, and here his being sold for thirty pieces of silver.

Observe here, 1. That our Saviour readily anwsers Pilate, but refuses to answer the chief priests, and to all that they laid to his charge before Pilate. Pilate asks him, Art thou the king of the Jews? Jesus readily answers, Thou sayest; or, it is as thou sayest. But to all the accusations of the chief priests, and to all that they laid to his charge before Pilate, our Saviour answered never a word: probably for these reasons; because his innocency was such as needed no apology; because their calumnies and accusations were so notoriously false, that they needed no confutation; to show his contempt of death, and to teach us, by his own example, patience and silence, when for his sake we are slandered and traduced.

Learn thence, that although we are not obliged to answer every captious and ensnaring question, nor to refute every slander and false accusation, yet are we bound faithfully thereunto. Our Saviour, as a deaf man, hears not, answers not the calumnies of the chief priests; but when Pilate asks him, Art thou the king of the Jews? or as St. Mark has it, Art thou the Son of the Blessed? Jesus said, I am; though he knew that answer would cost him his life.

Hence the apostle, says That Christ before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession. 1Tim 6:13. Teaching us sometimes to hold our peace when our reputation is concerned; but never to be silent when the honour of God, the glory of his truth, the edification and confirmation of others, may effectually be promoted by our open confession: then must we with Christ give a direct, plain, and sincere answer. For whoever denies him, or any truth of his, knowingly and wilfully, him will Christ deny in the presence of his Father, and before all his holy angels.

Now at the feast, that is, the feast of the passover, which by way of eminency is called the feast, the governor used to release a prisoner (possibly by way of memorial of their deliverance out of Egypt); accordingly Pilate makes a motion to them, that Christ may be the prisoner set at liberty in honour of the feast; for he was sensible that what they did was out of envy and malice. As covetousness sold Christ, so envy delivered him. Envy is a killing and murdering passion: Envy slayeth the silly one, Job 5:2, that is, It slays the silly person who harbours this pestilent lust in his bosom, and is like a fire in his bones, continually preying upon him, causing him to pine away, and die miserably, because another lives happily.

To envy another man's prosperity, is an argument of the worst simplicity: yea, farther, as envy slayeth the silly one, so it prompts and provokes the sinner to seek the slaying of simple and innocent ones. Envy wishes the envied person out of the way, yea, our of the world; and if need be, will not only wish it, but lend a lift towards it too; witness the chief priests here, whose envy was so conspicuous, that Pilate himself takes notice of it, and says, He knew that for envy they had delivered him.

There are several sorts or kinds of dreams, natural, moral, diabolical, and divine. The question is, what kind of dream this was? Not natural, all agree; some think it was diabolical, and that Satan hoped thereby to prevent the work of man's redemption by the death of Christ. But if so, why had not Pilate the dream rather than his wife? Probably this dream was from God, for even our very dreams are ordered by God; our sleeping, as well as our waking times, are in God's hand.

Learn hence, How wonderfully the wisdom and power of God is seen in this woman's testimony, which she gave to the innocence of our Saviour. When all his disciples were fled from him, when none of his friends durst speak a word for him, God raises up a woman, a stranger, a pagan, to give evidence of his innocency.

And it is observable, That at our Saviour's trial, not one mouth was opened to plead or speak a word for him, in defence of innocency itself, but only Pilate's and his wife's; they both pronounce him righteous, though they were Gentiles and Pagans, whilst his own kindred and countrymen, the Jews, thirst after his righteous and innocent blood.

Observe here, 1. How exceedingly unwilling and averse Pilate was to be the instrument of our Saviour's death; one while he bids the Jews take him themselves, and judge him according to their law; another while he offers to save Christ in honour of their feast, when by custom he was to release a prisoner, and this prisoner he desired might be Jesus. When this would not satisfy, he expostulates with them about our Saviour's innocency, What evil has he done? Nay says, Luke 23:22 That Pilate came forth three times, and professed that he found no fault in him. Yet though Pilate was satisfied, the Jews would not be denied.

Thence learn, That wicked men and hypocrites within the visible church, may be guilty of such tremendous acts of wickedness, as the conscience of infidels and pagans without the church may boggle at, and protest against. Pilate, a pagan absolves Christ, whilst hypocritical Jews which had heard his doctrine, and seen his miracles, condemn him.

But observe, 2. Who influenced the main body of the Jew to desire Barabbas, and to destroy Jesus? It was the chief priests and elders, they persuaded the multitude. Woe unto the people, when their guides and leaders are corrupt for then they shall be tempted by wicked counsel; and woe unto them, much more, if they follow their wicked and pernicious counsels. Thus did the Jews follow their guides, the chief priests, till they had preserved Barabbas, and destroyed Jesus.

Two things are here observable in Pilate's washing of his hands.

1. By this action he pronounces our Saviour's innocency, and was willing thereby to testify his own, that he did not consent to our Saviuour's death; washing the hands being and usual ceremony, in prostestation of a person's innocency.

But, 2. It was great folly and madness in Pilate, to think that washing of his hands did or could free him from the guilt of innocent blood. "O Pilate! thou hadst need rub hard, if thou meanest to scour from thy soul the guilt of that crimson sin which thou hast committed; thy guilt cleaves so close unto thee that nothing can expiate it but the blood which thou hast spilt."

Neither was it any excuse of Pilate's sin, that what he did was to please the people, and to gratify their importunity. It is a fond apology for sins, when persons pretend they were not committed with their own consent, but at others instigation and importunity.

That is, "Let the guilt and punishment of his blood rest upon us and our posterity." A most horrid and impious imprecation; the dreadful effects of it began to come upon them forty years after, in the destruction of Jerusalem, and has rested and remained upon their posterity to this day, near eighteen hundred years; the Jews being vagabonds over the earth, abhorred by all nations where soever they come. The just God has heard their wicked wish, and caused that blood to fall upon them in so severe, righteous a manner, as must pierce the heart of those that read and observe it.

God has given them blood to drink, as indeed they were worthy. This ought to be a terror and a warning to all persons, that they avoid all cursed imprecations, and wicked wishes upon themselves or others. Woe to such as wish damnation to themselves, pox and plague upon others; how if God says Amen, and ratifies in heaven the wicked Jews: His blood be on us, and on our children?

Yet what they with a wicked mind put up as a direful imprecation, we may with a pious mind offer up to God as an humble petition; Lord, let thy Son's blood, not in the guilt and punishment, but in the efficacy and merit of it, be upon us, and upon our posterity after us, for evermore.

As the death of the cross was a Roman punishment, so it was the manner of the Romans first to scourge and whip their malefactores, and then deliver them to be crucified. Now the manner of the Romans scourging is said to be thus; they stripped the condemned person, and bound him to a post; two strong men first scourged him with rods of thorns; then two others scourged him with whips full of knots; and lastly two more with whips of wire, and therewith tore off the very flesh and skin from the person's back and sides.

That our Saviour was thus cruelly scourged, seems to some not improbable, from that of the psalmist, The ploughers ploughed upon my luck, and made long furrows. Ps 129:3 Which, if spoken prophetically of Christ, was literally fulfilled in the day of his scourging. But why was the precious body of our blessed Lord thus galled and torn with scourgings! Doubtless to fulfil that prophecy; I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair,-That by his stripes we might be healed.

And to learn us patience from his example: Why should we think it strange to be scourged either with the tongue or the hand, or with both, when we see our dear Redeemer bleeding by stripes and scourges before our eyes?

The next part of our Lord's sufferings consisted of cruel mockings. Our blessed Saviour had said, that he was the King of the Jews; not a temporal king, to reign over them with pomp and power, but a spiritual king, to rule in the hearts of his people; but the Jews, missing of their expectations of a temporal king in Christ, look upon him as and impostor; and accordingly they treat him as a mock king, putting a crown upon his head, but a very ignominious and painful one, a crown of thorns: a sceptre in his hand, but it was of a reed; and a robe of purple or scarlet, both of which were wont to do to princes.

Thus all the marks of scorn imaginable are put upon of blessed Redeemer: yet that which they did in jest, God did in earnest, for all these things were ensigns and marks of sovereignty; and Almighty God caused the regal dignity of his Son to appear and shine forth, even in the midst of his abasement.

Whence was all this jeering and sport, but to flout majesty? And why did Christ undergo all this ignominy, disgrace, and shame, but to show us what was due to us for our sins, and to give us an example to bear all the scorn, reproach, and shame imaginable for his sake, Who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, and despised the shame?

The sentence of death being passed by Pilate, who can with dry eyes behold the sad pomp of our Saviour's bloody execution? Forth comes the blessed Jesus out of Pilate's gates, bearing that cross which was soon after to bear him. With his cross on his shoulder, he marches towards Golgotha; and when they see he can go no faster, they force Simon, the Cyrenian, no out of compassion, but from indignation, to be the porter of his cross. This Cyrenian being a Gentile, no a Jew, who bare our Saviour's cross, might signify and show, that the Gentiles should have a part in Christ, and be sharers with the Jews in the benefits of his cross.

At length Christ comes to the place of execution, Golgotha, or mount Calvary. Here, in a public place, with infamous company, betwixt two thieves, he is crucified: that is, fastened to a great cross of wood, his hands stretched forth abroad, and his feet close together! and both hands and feet fastened with nails; his naked body was lifted up in the open air, hanging betwixt heaven and earth; thereby intimating, that the crucified person was unfit to live in either.

This shameful, painful, and accursed death, did the holy and innocent Jesus undergo for sinners. Some observe all the dimensions of length, breadth, depth, and height, in our Saviour's sufferings. For length, his passion was several hours long, from twelve to three, exposed all that time both to hunger and cold: the thieves crucified with him were not dead so soon: they endured but personal pain, he undergoing the miseries of all mankind.

But what his passion wanted in length, it had in breadth, extending over all the parts and powers of his soul and body; no part free but his tongue, which was at liberty to pray for his enemies. His sight was tormented with the scornful gestures of such, as passed by, wagging their heads: his bearing grieved with the taunts and jeers of the priests and people: his smelling offended with noisome savours in the place of skulls: his taste with the gall and vinegar given him to drink. His feeling was wonderfully affected by the nails which pierced his hands and feet, and the crown of thorns which pierced his tender temples with a multiplicity of wounds. And for the depth of his passion, it was as deep as hell itself; enduring tortures in his soul, as well as torments in his body; groaning under the burden of desertion, and crying out, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

Lastly, for the height of his sufferings, they were as high as heaven; his person being innocent and infinite, no less than the Son of God, which adds and infinite worth and value to his sufferings. Lord, let us be able to comprehend with all saints, what is the breadth and length, depth and heighth, and let us know the love of Christ, which in suffering for us passeth knowledge. So infinite every way were the dimensions of it.

It was the manner of the Romans, when they crucified any man, to publish the cause of his death in capital letters, placed over the head of the person. Now see how the wisdom and providence of God powerfully over-ruled the heart and pen of Pilate to draw his title, which was truly honourable; and fix it to his cross: Pilate is Christ's herald, and proclaims him, King of the Jews.

Learn hence, That the regal dignity of Christ was proclaimed by an enemy, and that in a time of his greatest sufferings and reproaches. Pilate did Christ a special honour, and an eminent piece of service. He did that for Christ which none of his own disciples durst do; but he did it not designedly for his glory, but from the special over-ruling power of divine Providence: but the highest services performed to Christ undesignedly, shall never be accepted or rewarded by God.

Here we have several aggravations of our Lord's sufferings upon the cross. 1. From the company he suffered with, two thieves. It had been disparagement enough to our blessed Saviour to have been sorted with the best of men; but to be numbered with the scum of mankind, is such an indignity as confounds our thoughts. This was intended by the Jews to dishonour him the more, and to persuade the world that he was the greatest of offenders; but God over-ruled this, that the scripture might be fulfilled, He was numbered with the transgressors.

2. Another aggravation of our Lord's sufferings on the cross, was the scorn and mocking derision which he met with in his dying moments from the common people, from the chief priests, and from the thieves that suffered with him. The common people, both in words and actions, expressed scorn and detestation against him. They reviled him wagging their heads.

The chief priests, though men of age and gravity, not only barbously mock him, in his extremest misery, whom humanity obliged them to pity; but they scoff astheistically and profanely, jeering at his faith and affiance in God; tauntingly saying, He trusted in God that he would deliver him; let him deliver him now if he will have him.

Where observe, That persecutors are generally atheists, though they make a profession of religion. The chief priests and elders here, though learned and knowing men, yet they blaspheme God, mock at his power, and deride his providence, which was as bad as to deny his being.

Hence we gather, That those who administer to God in holy things by way of office, if they be not the best, they are the worst of men. No such bitter enemies to the power of godiness, as the ministers of religion who were never acquainted with the efficacy and power of it in their own hearts and lives. Nothing on this side hell is worse than a wicked priest, a minister of God devoted to the service of the devil.

A third aggravation of our Lord's sufferings on the cross, was, that the thieves that suffered with him reviled him with the rest; that is, one of them, as St. Luke has it, or perhaps both of them, might do it at first. Which, if so, increases the wonder of the penitent thief's conversion.

From the thief's impenitency we learn, That neither shame nor pain will change the mind of a resolute sinner; but even then when he is in the very suburbs of hell, will he blaspheme.

Observe here, 1. How the rays of Christ's divinity,, and the glory of his godhead, break out and shine forth in the midst of that infirmity which his human nature laboured under. He shows himself to be the God of nature, by altering the course of nature. The sun is eclipsed and darkness overspreads the earth, for three hours; namely, from twelve o'clock to three. Thus the sun in the firmament becomes close mourner at our Lord's death, and the whole frame of nature puts itself into a funeral habit.

Observe, 2. That the chief of Christ's sufferings consisted in the suffering of his soul; the distress of his spirit was more intolerable than the torments of his body, as appears by his mournful complaint, My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me? Being the first words of the 22nd psalm; Ps 22:1, and some conceive that he repeated that whole psalm, it being an admirable narrative of the colours of his passion.

Learn hence, that the Lord Jesus Christ, when suffering for our sins, was really deserted for a time, and left destitute of all sensible consolation. Why has thou forsaken me?

Learn farther, That under this desertion Christ despaired not, but still retained a firm persuasion of God's him. My God, my God, These are words of faith and affiance, striving under temptation. Christ was thus forasaken for us, that we might never be forsaken by God; yet by God's forsaking of Christ, is not to be understood any abatement of divine love, but only a withdrawing from the human nature the sense of his love, and a letting out upon his soul a deep afflicting sense of his displeasure which God utterly forsake a man, both as to grace and glory, being wholly cast out of God's presence, and adjudged to eternal torments; this was not compatible to Christ, nor agreeable to the dignity of his person.

But there is a partial and temporary desertion, when God for a little moment hides his face from his children: now this was both agreeable to the dignity of Christ's nature, and also suitable to his office, who was to satisfy the justice of God for our forsaking of him, and to bring us near to him, that we might be received forever.

Observe lastly, What a miraculous evidence Christ gave of his divinity instantly before he gave up the ghost. He cried with a loud voice. This showed that he did not die according to the ordinary course of nature, gradually departing and drawing on, as we express it. No, his life was whole in him, and nature as strong at last as at first. Other men die gradually, and towards their end their sense of pain is much blunted; they faulter, fumble, and die by degrees: his life was whole in him. This was evident by the mighty outcry he made when he gave up the ghost, contrary to the sense and experience of all ather persons; this argued him to be full of strength. And he that could cry with such a loud voice (in articulo mortis) as he did, could have kept himself from dying, if he would.

Hence we learn, That when Christ died, he rather conquered death, than was conquered by death. He must voluntarily and freely lay down his life, before death could come at him. He yielded up the ghost. O! wonderful sight; the Lord of life hangs dead, dead on the accursed tree. O! severe and inexorable justice in God! O! amazing and astonishing love in Christ! love beyond expression, beyond conception, beyond all comprehension! with what comparison shall we compare it? Verily, with nothing but itself; never was love like thine.

Here we have an account of several extraordinary and wonderful things which occurred and fell out about the time that our Saviour died.

Observe, 1. The vail of the temple rent asunder, that is, the hanging which parted the holy from the most holy place, to hide the mysteries therein; namely, the ark of the covenant and mercy-seat, from the view of the ordinary priests. This vail was now rent from the top to the bottom, and the rending of it did impart these great mysteries:

1. That now our great High Priest was entering into the most holy place with his own blood, having made the atonement for us. By his own blood entered once into the most holy place having obtained eternal redemption for us. Heb 9:12

2. That the means whereby he entered into the most holy place, was by the rending of his humanity, his soul from his body, typified by rending of this vail; accordingly his body is called a vail. Consecrated through the vail of his flesh. Heb 10:20

3. That now by the death of Christ all those dark mysteries vailed up formally in the most holy place, as the ark of the covenant and mercy-seat are now unfolded and laid open, and the use of the whole ceremonial law at an end, and the Jewish temple-service ceased.

4. That now the kingdom of heaven, the most holy place, is open to all believers. Christ, our great High Priest, is entered in with his own blood, and hath not closed the vail after him, but rent it asunder, and made and left a passage for all believers to follow him, first in their prayers, and next in their persons. Having therefore boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way wich he hath consecrated for us through the vail, that is to say, his flesh; let us draw near with a true heart, &c. Heb 10:19,20.

Observe, 2. The earth quaked. As there was an universal eclipse, so likewise an universal earthquake, at our Lord's crucifixion, which did awaken many of the saints (that died before our Saviour's incarnation) out of their dead sleep. These arose both as witnesses of Christ's resurrection, and also as sharers in it. But none of them arose till Christ was risen, he being the first fruits of them that slept. And those holy persons that arose with him, possibly attended him to heaven at his ascension.

From hence we learn, That Christ was the Saviour of those who believed in him before his incarnation, as well as those that believed in him since his incarnation: And that the former are partakers of the fruit and benefit of his death and ressurection, no less than the latter. Others conjecture, that those who rose out of their graves, were such as believed Christ, and died before him, as old Simeon, &c. Accordingly they understand, The hour is coming and now is, that the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of man, Jos 5:15 of this resurrection here mentioned. And whereas it is said they went into the holy city, and appeared to many; it is probable they were known to them unto whom they did appear: And if so, they must have lived in the time of their knowledge.

Observe next, What influence and effect the sight of those prodigious things had upon the centurion convinced of the divinity of Christ, than the unbelieving Jewish doctors. Obstinacy and unbelief filled their minds with an invincible prejudice against Christ; so that neither the miracles done by him in his life, nor wrought at his death, could convince the high priests, that Christ was any other than an imposter and deceiver.

Observe lastly, Who of Christ's friends were witnesses of his death: They are women, who followed him from Galilee, and ministered unto him: Not one of his dear disciples, except St. John, who stood by the cross with the Virgin Mary. What a shame was this for the apostles, to be absent from a spectacle upon which the salvation of the whole world did depend! and what an honour was this to the female sex in general, and to these women in particular, that they had the courage to follow Christ to the cross, when all the disciples forsook him and fled!

God can make women glorious professors of his truth, and arm them against the fears of sufferings, contrary to the natural timorousness of their tempers. These women wait upon Christ's cross, when apostles fly, and durst not come near.

Here we have an account given of our Lord's funeral and interment in the grave; such a funeral as never was since grave were first digged. Concerning which, we have these particulars observable:

Observe, 1. The preparatives that were made for our Lord's funeral; namely, the begging and perfuming of his dead body; his body could not be buried, till by begging it was obtained of Pilate; the dead bodies of malefactors being in the power and disposal of the judge. Pilate grants it; and to manifest their dear affection to their dead Lord, they wrap the body in fine linen, with spices to perfume it. But what need of odours for that body did not want them, yet the affections of his friends could not with-hold them.

Observe, 2. The bearers that carried his body to the grave, or the persons concerned in solemnizing his funeral, Joseph of Arimathea, and Nicodemus, two rich men, and two secret disciples.

1. They were rich men, senators, honourable counsellors; and so that prophecy was fulfilled. He made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death. Isa 53:9.

2. They were good men as well as rich men, disciples though secretly, for fear of the Jews. Grace doth no always make a public and open show where it is. As there is much secret riches in the bowels of the earth, which no eye ever saw, so there may be grace in the heart of a Christian, which the world takes no notice of. We never hear any news of Joseph of Arimathea till now; yet was he eminently rich, wise, and good; a worthy though a close disciple. Much grace may be where little is seen. Some gracious persons cannot put forward, and discover themselves, like others; and yet such weak Christians, perhaps, when a trial comes, shall stand their ground, when stronger run away. We read of none of the apostles at Christ's funeral; fear had chased them away, though they professed a readiness to die with Christ: But Joseph and Nicodemus appear boldly for him.

Let it be a caution to strong Christians, neither to glory in themselves nor to glory over the weak. If God desert the strong, and assist the weak, the feeble shall be as David, and the strong as tow.

Observe, 3. The mourners that followed the hearse; namely, the women that followed him out of Galilee, and particularly the two Maries: A very poor train of mourners, a few sorrowful women. Others are attended to their graves by their relations and friends; but Christ's disciples were all scattered, and afraid to own him either dying or dead. Our blessed Lord affected no pomp or gallantry in his life, and it was no way suitable either to the end or manner of his death. Humiliation was designed in his death, and his burial was the lowest degree of his humiliation.

Observe, 4. The grave or sepulchre in which they buried him; it was in a garden. As by the sin of the first Adam we were driven out of the garden of pleasure, the earthly paradise; so by the sufferings of the second Adam, who lay buried in a garden, we may hope for an entrance into the heavenly paradise. It was in a sepulchre hewn out of a rock; that so his enemies might have no occasion to cavil, and say, that his disciples stole him away by secret holes, or unseen passages under ground. And it was in a new sepulchre, in which never any man was laid, lest his adversaries should say, it was some other that was risen, or that he rose from the dead by touching some other corpse.

Observe, 5. The manner of our Lord's funeral, hastily, openly, decently celebrated. It was done in haste, by reason of the straits of time, the preparation for the passover caused them to be very expeditious; the sabbath was approaching, and they lay all business aside to prepare for that.

Learn hence, How much it is our duty to dispatch our wordly business as early as we can towards the end of the week, that we may be the better prepared to sanctify the Lord's day, if we live to enjoy it. We ought to remember that day before it comes, and to sanctify it when it is come.

Again, Our Lord was buried openly, as well as hastily; all persons had liberty to be spectators, that none might object there was any fraud or deceit used in or about his burial. He was also interred decently, his body wrapt in fine linen, and perfumed with odours, according to the Jewish custom, which used not to unbowel, but embalm, their dead.

Observe, 6. The reason why our Lord was buried, seeing he was to rise again in as short a time as other men lie by the walls; and had his dead body remained a thousand years unburied, it could have seen no corruption, having never been tainted with sin. Sin is the cause of the body's corruption; it is sin that makes our bodies stink worse than carrion when they are dead. A funeral then was not necessary for Christ's body, upon the same accounts that it is necessary for ours.

But, 1. He was buried to declare the certainty of his death, and the reality of his resurrection; and for his reason did God's providence order it, that he should be embalmed to cut off all pretensions. For in this kind of embalming, his mouth, his ears and his nostrils, were all filled with spices and odours, so that there could be no latent principle of life in him; being thus buried, then, declares him to be certainly dead.

2. He was buried to fulfil the types and prophecies that went before concerning him. Jonas's being three days and three nights in the belly of a whale was a type of Christ's being three days and three nights in the heart of the earth; and the prophet Isaiah said, He made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death. Isa 53:9. Pointing, by that expression, at this tomb of Joseph's, who was a rich man; and the scripture cannot be broken.

3. He was buried to complete his humiliation; They have brought me to the dust of death, says David, a type of Christ. This was the lowest step he could possibly descend in his abased state; lower he could not have been laid, and so low his blessed head must be laid, else he had not been humbled to the lowest.

4. He went into the grave, that he might conquer death in its own territories and dominions. Christ's victory over the grave causes his saints to triumph and sing; O grave, where is thy destruction? Our blessed Lord has perfumed the bed of the grave by his own lying in it: So that the pillow of down is not so soft to a believer's head, as a pillow of dust.

Observe, lastly, Of what use the doctrine of Our Lord's burial may be unto us.

1. For instruction; here we see the amazing depths of Our Lord's humiliation. From what, to what his love brought him; even from the bosom of his Father, to the bosom of a grave. Now the depth of his humiliation shows us the fulness and sufficiency of his satisfaction as well as the heinousness of our transgression.

2. For consolation against the fears of death and the grave. The grave received Christ, but could not retain him. Death swallowed him up, as the fish did Jonas, but quickly vomited him up again; so shall it fare with Christ mystical as it did with Christ personal; the grave could not long keep him, it shall not forever keep us; as his body rested in hope, so shall ours also; and though they see corruption, which they did not, yet shall they not always lie under the power of corruption. In a word, Christ's lying in the grave, has changed and altered the nature of the grave; it was a prison before, a bed of rest now; a loathsome grave before, a perfumed bed now. He whose head is in heaven, and need not fear to put his foot into the grave.-Awake and sing, thou that dwelleth in dust, for the enmity of the grave is slain by Christ.

3. For imitation; let us study and endeavour to be buried with Christ, in respect of our sins: I mean, Buried with him into death. Rom 6:4. Our sins should be as a dead body, in several respects.

Are dead bodies removed far from the society of men? So should our sins be removed far from us. Dead bodies in the grave spend and consume away by little and little; So should our sins daily.

Will dead bodies grow every day more and more loathsome to others? So should our sins be to ourselves.

Do dead boodies wax out of memory, and are quite forgotten? So should our sins, in respect of any delight that we take in remembering of them. We should always remember our sins to our humiliation; but never think or speak of them with the least delight or satisfaction; for this, in God's account, is a new comission of them, and lays us under an additional guilt.

This last paragraph of the chapter acquaints us with the endeavours that the murderers of Christ used to prevent his foretold resurrection: they ask and obtain of Pilate, that his sepulchre might be strongly guarded till the third day was past and over, when probably they intended to have exposed his dead body to the view of the people; and accordingly a threefold guard is set about the grave; the stone, the seal, and the watch; concluding that Christ was safe enough either from rising or stealing: the stone making the grave sure, the seal making the stone sure, and the watch or band of soldiers making all sure. The stone being sealed with the public seal, no person might meddle with it upon pain of death.

Where note, 1. The wonderful wisdom, the over-ruling power and providence of God; by this excessive care and extraordinary diligence, the high priests hoped to prevent our Saviour's resurrection, but the truth and belief of it was hereby ocnfirmed to all the world. How much evidence had Christ's resurrection wanted, if the high priests and elders had not been thus maliciously industrious to prevent his rising!

Learn, 2. That the endeavours used to obstruct our Lord's resurrection, have rendered it more certain and undoubted: had not all this care and caution been used by his enemies, the grounds of our faith had not been so strong, so evident, and so clear. It was very happy, that the Jews were thus jealous and suspicious, thus careful and distrustful; for otherwise the world had never received so full and perfect an evidence of Christ's doth depend. Verily their solicitous care to suppress our Redeemer's resurrection, has rendered it more conspicuous, and freed it from all suspicion of forgery.

The opening of this chapter describes the delivery of our Lord Jesus Christ into the hands of the Gentiles. The chief priests and elders of the Jews led him away to Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor. We may see in this incident the finger of God: it was ordered by his providence that Gentiles as well as Jews should be concerned in the murder of Christ; it was ordered by his providence that the priests should publicly confess that the “scepter had departed from Judah.” They were unable to put anyone to death without going to the Romans: the words of Jacob were therefore fulfilled. The Messiah, Shiloh had indeed come ( Genesis 49:10 ).

The subject that principally occupies the verses we have read is the melancholy end of the false apostle, Judas Iscariot. It is a subject full of instruction: let us mark well what it contains.

We see in the end of Judas a plain proof of our Lord’s innocence of every charge laid against him.

If there was any living witness who could give evidence against our Lord Jesus Christ, Judas Iscariot was the man. A chosen apostle of Jesus, a constant companion in all his journeyings, a hearer of all his teaching, both in public and private—he must have known well if our Lord had done any wrong, either in word or deed. A deserter from our Lord’s company, a betrayer of him into the hands of his enemies, it was his interest for his own character’s sake, to prove Jesus guilty. It would extenuate and excuse his own conduct if he could make out that his former Master was an offender and an impostor.

Why then did not Judas Iscariot not come forward? Why did he not stand forth before the Jewish council and specify his charges, if he had any to make? Why did he not venture to accompany the chief priests to Pilate, and prove to the Romans that Jesus was a malefactor? There is but one answer to these questions. Judas did not come forward as a witness, because his conscience would not let him. Bad as he was, he knew he could prove nothing against Christ; wicked as he was, he knew well that his Master was holy, harmless, innocent, blameless and true. Let this never be forgotten. The absence of Judas Iscariot at our Lord’s trial is one among many proofs that the Lamb of God was without blemish, a sinless man.

We see for another thing in the end of Judas that there is such a thing as repentance which is too late. We are told plainly that Judas “repented himself.” We are even told that he went to the priests and said, “I have sinned.” Yet it is clear that he did not repent unto salvation.

This is a point which deserves special attention. It is a common saying that “it is never too late to repent.” The saying, no doubt, is true, if repentance be true; but unhappily, late repentance is often not genuine. It is possible for a man to feel his sins, and be sorry for them—to be under strong conviction of guilt, and express deep remorse—to be pricked in conscience, and exhibit much distress of mind—and yet, for all this, not repent with his heart. Present danger, or the fear of death, may account for all his feelings, and the Holy Spirit may have done no work whatever on his soul.

Let us beware of trusting to a late repentance. “Now is the accepted time today is the day of salvation.” One penitent thief was saved in the hour of death, that no man might despair; but only one, that no man might presume. Let us put off nothing that concerns our souls, and above all not put off repentance, under the vain idea that it is a thing in our own power. The words of Solomon on this subject are very fearful: he speaks of men who shall call upon God but he will not answer; who shall seek him early and not find him.( Proverbs

Let us see for another thing in the end of Judas how little comfort ungodliness brings a man at the last. We are told that he cast down the thirty pieces of silver for which he had sold his Master in the temple, and went away in bitterness of soul. That money was dearly earned. It brought him no pleasure, even when he had it: “the treasures of wickedness profit nothing.” ( Proverbs 10:2 ).

Sin is, in truth, the hardest of all masters. In its service there is plenty of fair promises, but an utter dearth of performance. Its pleasures are but for a season: its wages are sorrow, remorse, self-accusation and, too often, death. They that sow to the flesh do indeed reap destruction.

Are we tempted to commit sin? Let us remember the words of Scripture, “your sin will find you out” ( Numbers 32:23 ), and resist the temptation. Let us be sure that sooner or later, in this life or in the life to come, in this world or on the judgment day, sin and the sinner will meet face to face, and have a bitter reckoning. Let us be sure that of all trades sin is the most unprofitable. Judas, Achan, Gehazi, Ananias and Sapphira all found it so to their cost. Well might St. Paul say, “What fruit had ye in those things whereof ye are now ashamed?” ( Romans 6:21 ).

Finally let us see in the case of Judas to what a miserable end a man may come if he has great privileges and does not use them rightly. We are told that this unhappy man “departed and went, and hanged himself.” What an awful death to die. An apostle of Christ, a former preacher of the Gospel, a companion of Peter and John, commits suicide and rushes into God’s presence unprepared and unforgiven.

Let us never forget that no sinners are so sinful as sinners against light and knowledge. None are so provoking to God: none, if we look at Scripture, have been so often removed from this world by sudden and fearful visitations. Let us remember Lot’s wife, Pharaoh, Korah, Dathan, Abiram and Saul, King of Israel: they are all cases in point. It is a solemn saying of Bunyan that “none fall so deep into the pit, as those who fall backward.” It is written in Proverbs, “He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy.” ( Proverbs 29:1 ). May we all strive to live up to our light. There is such a thing as sin against the Holy Ghost: clear knowledge of truth in the head, combined with deliberate love of sin in the heart, go a long way towards it.

And now what is the state of our hearts? Are we ever tempted to rest on our knowledge and profession of religion? Let us remember Judas, and beware. Are we disposed to cling to the world, and to give money a prominent place in our minds? Again, let us remember Judas, and beware. Are we trifling with any one sin and flattering ourselves we may repent by and by? Once more, let us remember Judas, and beware. He is set up before us as a beacon: let us look well at him, and not make shipwrecked.

These verses describe our Lord’s appearance before Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor. That sight must have been wonderful to the angels of God. He who will one day judge the world allowed himself to be judged and condemned, though “he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth” ( Isaiah 53:9 ). He, from whose lips Pilate and Caiaphas will one day receive their eternal sentence suffered silently, an unjust sentence to be passed upon him. Those silent sufferings fulfilled the words of Isaiah: “as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth” ( Isaiah 53:7 ). To those silent sufferings believers owe all their peace and hope. Through them they will have boldness in the day of judgment, who in themselves would have nothing to say.

Let us learn from the conduct of Pilate how pitiful is the condition of an unprincipled great man.

Pilate appears to have been inwardly satisfied that our Lord had done nothing worthy of death: we are told distinctly that “he knew that for envy they delivered him.” Left to the exercise of his own unbiased judgment, he would probably have dismissed the charges against our Lord, and let him go free.

But Pilate was the governor of a jealous and turbulent people; his great desire was to procure favor with them and please them: he cared little how much he sinned against God and conscience so long as he had the praise of man. Though willing to save our Lord’s life, he was afraid to do it if it offended the Jews; and so, after a feeble attempt to divert the fury of the people from Jesus to Barabbas, and a fleeblier attempt to satisfy his own conscience by washing his hands publicly before the people, he at last condemned one whom he himself called a “just person.” He rejected the strange and mysterious warning which his wife sent to him after her dream: he stifled the remonstrances of his own conscience. He “delivered Jesus to be crucified.”

We see in this miserable man a lively emblem of many a ruler of this world! How many there are who know well that their public acts are wrong, and yet have not the courage to act up to their knowledge. They fear the people; they dread being laughed at: they cannot bear being unpopular! Like dead fish, they float with the tide. The praise of man is the idol before which they bow down, and to that idol they sacrifice conscience, inward peace and an immortal soul.

Whatever our position in life may be, let us seek to be guided by principle, and not by expediency. The praise of man is a poor, feeble, uncertain thing: it is here today and gone tomorrow. Let us strive to please God, and then we may care little who else is pleased; let us fear God, and then there is no one else of whom we need to be afraid.

Let us learn from the conduct of the Jews described in these verses the desperate wickedness of human nature.

The behavior of Pilate afforded the chief priests and elders an occasion of reconsidering they were about. The difficulties he raised about condemning our Lord gave time for second thoughts. But there were no second thoughts in the minds of our Lord’s enemies. They pressed on their wicked deed; they rejected the compromise that Pilate offered: they actually preferred having a wretched felon named Barabbas set at liberty rather than Jesus. They clamored loudly for our Lord’s crucifixion; and they wound up all by recklessly taking on themselves all the guilt of our Lord’s death, in words of portentous meaning: “ His blood be on us and on our children!” And what had our Lord done that the Jews should hate him so? He was no robber or murderer: he was no blasphemer of their God, or reviler of their prophets. He was one whose life was love: he was one who “went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil.” ( Acts 10:38 ). He was innocent of any transgression against the law of God or man; and yet the Jews hated him, and never rested till he was slain! They hated him because he told them the truth; they hated him because he testified of their works that they were evil; they hated the light, because it made their own darkness visible. In a word, they hated Christ because he was righteous and they were wicked—because he was holy and they were unholy—because he testified against sin, and they were determined to keep their sins and not let them go.

Let us observe this. There are few things so little believed and realized as the corruption of human nature. Men fancy that if they saw a perfect person they would love and admire him; they flatter themselves that it is the inconsistency of professing which they dislike, and not their religion: they forget that when a really perfect man was on earth, in the person of the Son of God, he was hated and put to death. That single fact goes far to prove the truth of an old saying, that “unconverted men would kill God, if they could get at him.”

Let us never be surprised at the wickedness there is in the world. Let us mourn over it, and labour to make it less, but let us never be surprised at its extent. There is nothing which the heart of man is not capable of conceiving, or the hand of man of doing. As long as we live, let us mistrust our own hearts: even when renewed by the Spirit, they are still “deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked.” ( Jeremiah 17:9 ).

These verses describe the sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ after his condemnation by Pilate, his sufferings in the hands of the brutal Roman soldiers, and his final sufferings on the cross. They form a marvelous record. They are marvelous when we remember the sufferer—the eternal Son of God. They are marvelous when we remember the persons for whom these sufferings were endured. We and our sins were the cause of all this sorrow! He “died for our sins” ( 1 Corinthians 15:3 ).

Let us observe in the first place the extent and reality of our Lord’s sufferings.

The catalogue of all the pains endured by our Lord’s body is indeed a fearful one: seldom has such suffering been inflicted on one body in the last few hours of a life. The most savage tribes, in their refinement of cruelty, could hardly have heaped more agonizing tortures on an enemy than were accumulated on the flesh and bones of our beloved Master. Never let it be forgotten that he had a real human body, a body exactly like our own, just as sensitive, just as vulnerable, just as capable of feeling intense pain. And then let us see what that body endured.

Our Lord, we must remember, had already passed a night without sleep, and endured excessive fatigue. He had been taken from Gethsemane to the Jewish council, and from the Council to Pilate’s judgment hall. He had been twice placed on his trial, and twice unjustly condemned. He had been already scourged and beaten cruelly with rods. And now, after all this suffering, he was delivered up to the Roman soldiers, a body of men no doubt expert in cruelty, and, of all people, least likely to behave with delicacy or compassion. These hard men at once proceeded to work their will. They “gathered together the whole band;” they stripped our Lord of his raiment and put on him, in mockery, a scarlet robe, they “plaited a crown of sharp thorns,” and in derision placed it on his head. They then bowed the knee before him in mockery, as nothing better than a pretended king; they “spit upon him” they “smote him on the head again and again”; and finally, having put his own robe on him, they led him out of the city to a place called Golgotha and there crucified him between two thieves.

But what was a crucifixion? Let us try to realize it and understand its misery. The person crucified was laid on his back on a piece of timber, with a cross-piece nailed to it near one end—or on the trunk of a tree with branching arms, which answered the same purpose: his hands were spread out on the cross-piece, and nails driven through each of them, fastening them to the wood; his feet in like manner were nailed to the upright part of the cross. Then, the body having been securely fastened, the cross was raised up and fixed firmly in the ground. And there hung the unhappy sufferer, till pain and exhaustion brought him to his end—not dying suddenly, for no vital part of him was injured; but enduring the most excruciating agony from his hands and feet, and unable to move. Such was the death of the cross. Such was the death that Jesus died for us! For six long hours he hung there before a gazing crowd, naked, and bleeding from head to foot—his head pierced with thorns, his back lacerated with scourging, his hands and feet torn with nails, and mocked and reviled by his cruel enemies to the very last.

Let us meditate frequently on these things: let us often read over the story of Christ’s cross and passion. Let us remember, not least, that all these horrible sufferings were borne without a murmur: no word of impatience crossed our Lord’s lips. In his death, no less than in his life, he was perfect. To the very last Satan found nothing in him ( John 14:30 ).

Let us observe in the second place that all our Lord Jesus Christ’s sufferings were vicarious. He suffered not for his own sins, but for ours. He was eminently our substitute in all his passion.

This is a truth of the deepest importance. Without it the story of our Lord’s sufferings, with all its minute details, must always seem mysterious and inexplicable. It is a truth, however, of which the Scriptures speak frequently, and that too with no uncertain sound. We are told that Christ “bare our sins in his own body on the tree” that he “suffered for sins the just for the unjust” that “He was made sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” that he “ was made a curse for us” that “he was offered take bear the sins of many.”that “he was wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities,” and that “the Lord had laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (1 Peter 2:22, 1 Peter 3:18, 2 Cor 5:21, Gal.3:13, Heb 9:28, Isaiah 53:5-6 ). May we all remember these texts. They are among the foundation-stones of the Gospel.

But we must not be content with a vague general belief that Christ’s sufferings on the cross were vicarious. We are intended to see this truth in every part of his passion. We may follow him all through, from the bar of Pilate to the minute of his death, and see him at every step as our mighty substitute, our representative, our head, our surety, our proxy—the divine friend who undertook to stand in our stead, and by the priceless merit of his sufferings, to purchase our redemption. Was he scourged? It was that through“ his stripes we might be healed.” Was he condemned, though innocent? It was that we might be acquitted, though guilty. Did he wear a crown of thorns? It that we might wear the crown of glory. Was he stripped of his raiment? It was that we might be clothed in everlasting righteousness. Was he mocked and reviled? It that we might be honored and blessed. Was he reckoned a malefactor, and numbered among transgressors? It was that we might be reckoned innocent, and justified from all sin. Was he declared unable to save himself? It was that he might be able to save others to the uttermost. Did he die at last, and that the most painful and disgraceful of deaths? It was that we might live forevermore, and be exalted to the highest glory.

Let us ponder these things well: they are worth remembering. The very key to peace is a right apprehension of the vicarious sufferings of Christ.

Let us leave the story of our Lord’s passion with feelings of deep thankfulness. Our sins are many and great, but a great atonement has been made for them. There was an infinite merit in all Christ’s sufferings: they were the sufferings of one who was God as well as man. Surely it is meet right and our bounden duty to praise God daily because Christ has died.

Last, but not least, let us ever learn from the story of the passion to hate sin with a great hatred. Sin was the cause of all our Saviour’s suffering. Our sins plaited the crown of thorns; our sins drove the nails into his hands and feet; on account of our sins his blood was shed. Surely the thought of Christ crucified should make us loathe all sin. Well says the Church of England Homily of the Passion: “Let this image of Christ crucified be always printed in our hearts. Let it stir us up to the hatred of sin, and provoke our minds to the earnest love of Almighty God.”

In these verses we read the conclusion of our Lord Jesus Christ’s passion. After six hours of agonizing suffering, he became obedient even unto death, and “yielded up the ghost.” Three points in the narrative demand a special notice: to them let us confine our attention.

Let us observe in the first place the remarkable words which Jesus uttered shortly before his death: “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”

There is a deep mystery in these words, which no mortal man can fathom. No doubt they were not wrung from our Lord by mere bodily pain: such an explanation is utterly unsatisfactory, and dishonorable to our blessed Saviour. They were meant to express the real pressure on his soul of the enormous burden of a world’s sins; they were meant to show how truly and literally he was our substitute—was made sin, and a curse for us, and endured God’s righteous anger against a world’s sin in his own person. At that awful moment the iniquity of us all was laid on him to the uttermast. It pleased the Lord to bruise him and put him to grief ( Isaiah 53:10 ). He bore our sins: he carried our transgressions. Heavy must have been that burden, real and literal must have been our Lord’s substitution for us when he, the eternal Son of God, could speak of himself as for a time “forsaken.”

Let the expression sink down into our hearts, and not be forgotten. We can have no stronger proof of the sinfulness of sin, or of the vicarious nature of Christ’s sufferings, than his cry, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” It is a cry that should stir us up to hate sin, and encourage us to trust in Christ.

Let us observe in the second place how much is contained in the words which describe our Lord’s end. We are simply told, “he yielded up the ghost.”

There never was a last breath drawn of such deep import as this. There never was an event on which so much depended. The Roman soldiers, and the gaping crowd around the cross, saw nothing remarkable. They only saw a person dying as others die, with all the usual agony and suffering which attend a crucifixion. But they knew nothing of the eternal interests which were involved in the whole transaction.

That death discharged in full the mighty debt which sinners owe to God, and threw open the door of life to every believer; that death satisfied the righteous claims of God’s holy law, and enabled God to be “just and yet the justifier” of the ungodly ( Romans 3:26 ). That death was no mere example of self-sacrifice, but a complete atonement and propitiation for man’s sin, affecting the condition and prospects of all mankind. That death solved the hard problem of how God could be perfectly holy, and yet perfectly merciful. It opened to the world a fountain for all sin and uncleanness; it was a complete victory over Satan, and spoiled him openly; it “finished the transgressions made an end of sins, made reconciliation for iniquity and brought in everlasting righteousness.” ( Daniel 9:24 ). It proved the sinfulness of sin, when it needed such a sacrifice to atone for it; it proved the love of God to sinners, when he sent his own Son to make the atonement. Never, in fact, was there, or could there be again, such a death. No wonder that the earth quaked when Jesus died in our stead on the accursed tree. The solid frame of the world might well tremble and be amazed, when the soul of Christ was made an offering for sin. ( Isaiah 53:10 )

Let us observe in the last place what a remarkable miracle occurred at the hour of our Lord’s death, in the very midst of the Jewish temple. We are told that “the veil of the temple was rent in twain.” The curtain which separated the holy of holies from the rest of the temple, and through which the high priest alone might pass, was suddenly split “from top to bottom.”

Of all the wonderful signs which accompanied our Lord’s death, none was more significant than this. The have been a startling event; the earthquake, which rent the rocks, must have been a tremendous shock. But there was a meaning in the sudden rending of the veil from top to bottom which must have pricked the heart of any intelligent Jew. The conscience of Caiaphas, the high priest, must have been hard indeed if the tidings of that rent veil did not fill him with dismay.

That rending of the veil proclaimed the termination and passing away of the ceremonial law. It was a sign that the old dispensation of sacrifices and ordinances was no longer needed: its work was done, its occupation was gone from the moment that Christ died. There was no more need of an earthly high priest, a mercy-seat, a sprinkling of blood, an offering of incense and a day of atonement. The true High Priest had at length appeared; the true Lamb of God had been slain; the true mercy-seat was at length revealed. The figures and shadows were no longer wanted. May we all remember this! To set up an altar, a sacrifice and a priesthood now is to light a candle at noon-day.

That rending of the veil proclaimed the opening of the way of salvation to all mankind. The way into the presence of God was unknown to the Gentile, and only seen dimly by the Jew, until Christ died; but Christ having now offered up a perfect sacrifice, and obtained eternal redemption, the darkness and mystery were to pass away. All were to be invited now to draw near to God with boldness, and approach him with confidence, by faith in Jesus. A door was thrown open, and a way of life set before the whole world. May we all remember this! From the time that Jesus died, the way of peace was never meant to be shrouded in mystery: there was to be no reserve. The Gospel was the revelation of a mystery which had been hid from ages and generations. To clothe religion now with mystery is to mistake the grand characteristic of Christianity.

Let us turn from the story of the crucifixion, every time we read it, with hearts full of praise. Let us praise God for the confidence it gives us as to the ground of our hope of pardon. Our sins may be many and great but the payment made by our great Substitute far outweighs them all. Let us praise God for the view it gives us of the love of our Father in heaven. “He that spared not his own Son, but deliver him up for us all—will surely with him give us all things?” ( Romans 8:32 ). Not least, let us praise God for the view it gives us of the sympathy of Jesus with all his believing people. He can be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; he knows what suffering is. He is just the Saviour that an infirm body, with a weak heart, in an evil world, requires.

These verses contain the history of our Lord Jesus Christ’s burial. There was yet one thing needful in order to make it certain that our Redeemer accomplished that great work of redemption which he undertook. That holy body, in which he bore our sins on the cross, must actually be laid in the grave, and rise again. His resurrection was to be the seal and headstone of all the work.

The infinite wisdom of God foresaw the objections of unbelievers and infidels and provided against them. Did the Son of God really die? Did he really rise again? Might there not have been some delusion as to the reality of his death? Might there not have been imposition or deception, as to the reality of his resurrection? All these and many more objections would doubtless have been raised if opportunity had been given. But he who knows the end from the beginning prevented the possibility of such objections being made. By his overruling providence he ordered things so that the death and burial of Jesus were placed beyond a doubt. Pilate gives consent to his burial; a loving disciple wraps the body in linen and lays it in a new tomb hewn out of a rock, “wherein was never man yet laid.” The chief priests themselves set a guard over the place where his body was deposited. Jews and Gentiles, friends and enemies, all alike testify to the great fact that Christ did really and actually die and was laid in a grave. It is a fact that can never be questioned. He was really “bruised”; he really “suffered”; he really “died”; he was really “buried.” Let us mark this well: it deserves recollection.

Let us learn for one thing from these verses that our Lord Jesus Christ has friends of whom little is known.

We cannot have a more striking example of this truth than we see in the passage now before us. A man named Joseph, of Arimathea, comes forward when our Lord was dead and asks permission to bury him. We have never heard of this man at any former period of our Lord’s earthly ministry: we never hear of him again. We know nothing but that he was a disciple who loved Christ and did him honor. At a time when the apostles had forsaken our Lord—at a time when it was a dangerous thing to profess regard for him—at a time when there seemed to be no earthly advantage to be gained by confessing his discipleship—at such a time as this, Joseph comes forward boldly, and begs the body of Jesus, and lays it in his own new tomb.

This fact is full of comfort and encouragement. It shows us that there are some quiet, retiring souls on earth, who know the Lord, and the Lord knows them, and yet they are little known by the church. It shows us that there are “diversities of gifts” among Christ’s people: there are some who glorify Christ passively, and some who glorify him actively; there are some whose vocation it is to build the church, and fill a public place, and there are some who only come forward, like Joseph, in times of special need. But each and all are led by one Spirit, and each and all glorify God in their several ways.

Let these things teach us to be more hopeful. Let us believe that “many shall yet come from the east and the west, and sit down with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.” ( Matthew 8:11 ). There may be in some dark corners of Christendom many who, like Simeon, Anna and Joseph of Arimathea, are at present little known, who will shine brightly among the Lord’s jewels in the day of His appearing.

Let us learn for another thing from these verses that God can make the devices of wicked men work round to his own glory.

We are taught that lesson in a striking manner by the conduct of the priests and Pharisees after our Lord was buried. The restless enmity of these unhappy men could not sleep, even when the body of Jesus was in the grave. They called to mind the words which they remembered he had spoken about “rising again”: they resolved, as they thought, to make his rising again impossible. They went to Pilate and obtained from him a guard of Roman soldiers; they set a watch over the tomb of our Lord; they placed a seal upon the stone. In short they did all they could to make the sepulchre sure.

They little thought what they were doing; they little thought that unwittingly they were providing the most complete evidence of the truth of Christ’s coming resurrection. They were actually making it impossible to prove that there was any deception or imposition. Their seal, their guard, their precautions, were all to become witnesses, in a few hours, that Christ had risen. They might as well have tried to stop the tides of the sea, or to prevent the sun rising, as to prevent Jesus coming forth from the tomb. They were taken in their own craftiness ( 1 Corinthians 3:19 ): their own devices became instruments to show forth God’s glory.

The history of the church of Christ is full of examples of a similar kind. The very things that have seemed most unfavorable to God’s people have often turned out to be for their good. What harm did the persecution which arose about Stephen do to the church of Christ? They that were scattered “went everywhere preaching the word.” ( Acts 7:4 ). What harm did imprisonment do St. Paul? It gave him time to write many of those epistles which are now read all over the world. What real harm did the persecution of bloody Mary do to the cause of the English Reformation? The blood of the martyrs became the seed of the church. What harm does persecution do the people of God at this very day? It only drives them nearer to Christ: it only makes them cling more closely to the throne of grace, the Bible, and prayer.

Let all true Christians lay these things to heart, and take courage. We live in a world where all things are ordered by a hand of perfect wisdom, and where in all things are working together continually for the good of the body of Christ. The powers of this world are only tools in the hand of God: he is ever using them for his own purposes, however little they may be aware of it. They are the instruments by which he is ever squaring and polishing the living stones of his spiritual temple, and all their schemes and plans will only turn to his praise. Let us be patient in days of trouble and darkness, and look forward. The very things which now seem against us are all working together for God’s glory. We see but half now: yet a little, we shall see all; and we shall then discover that all the persecution we now endure was, like “the seal” and “the guard,” tending to God’s glory. God can make the “wrath of man praise him.” ( Psalm 77:10 )