Matthew Poole and continuators on Matthew 27:44

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.