418

cxci.

Mat.

53

The graves open, and many bodies of saints arise.

53 And came out of

the graves after his re

SECT. Some of the tombs there were opened by the earth- were opened, and ma. quake: and, which was much more astonishing, ny bodies of the saints which slept, arose, a little while after, while the monuments conXXVII. tinued unclosed, many bodies of those holy men 52 who were sleeping there were raised from the dust of death, And came out of the tombs after the resurrection of [Jesus], and entered into Jerusalem, the holy city, and appeared unto manyp; attesting the truth of that important fact, and declaring their own rescue from the grave, as a kind of first fruits of his power over death, which should at length accomplish a general resurrection.

Mark XV.39

surrection, and went

into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

MARK XV. 39. And when the centurion

And when the Roman centurion, who stood over-against him, and guarded the execution, which stood oversaw that he so cried out with such strength of against him, saw that voice, and such firm confidence in God, even at he so cried out, and the moment when he expired; [and] also saw [LUKE, and saw what gave up the ghost what was [then] done in so miraculous a man- was done, he glorified ner, in those amazing prodigies that attended God, saying, Certainly his death; he glorified God by a free confession this was a righteous man], truly this man of his persuasion of the innocence of Jesus, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man; [yea], notwithstanding all the vile reproaches which

Journey from Aleppo to Jerusalem, p. 73,
74, tells us, that it is about a span wide at
the upper part, and two spans deep; after
which it closes, but opens again below (as
may be seen in another chapel below con-
tiguous to the side of Calvary), and runs
down to an unknown depth in the earth.
He adds, that every man's sense and rea-
son must convince him that this is a natural
and genuine breach.

• Many bodies of holy men were raised.]
That ingenious writer Mr. Fleming, who
abounds with a vast number of peculiar
conjectures, thinks that these were some
of the most eminent saints mentioned in
the Old Testament; and that they appear-
ed in some extraordinary splendour, and
were known by revelation, as Eve's ori-
ginal and relation was to Adam, or Moses
and Elijah to the disciples at the transfigu-
ration. He ventures particularly to con-
jecture who they were; but does not men-
tion David among them. (Fleming of the
First Resurrection, p. 29-38.) But Mr.
Pierce (on Colos. p. 68) maintains, that it
is very improbable that, had other saints of
former ages risen, David should have been
excluded; and since Acts ii. 34, proves
that he did not now rise, he concludes,
that the saints who rose were some who died
but a little before, perhaps such as had be-
lieved in Christ, and were well known to

have

was

surviving disciples. It was to be sure a most surprising event, and Dr. Whitby supposes, John v. 25, was a prophecy relating to it.]

P And came out of the tombs after the resurrection of Jesus, &c.] Consequently it secms that the tombs stood open all the sabbath, when the law would not allow any attempt to close them. What an astonishing spectacle! especially if their resurrection was not instantaneously accomplished, but by such slow degrees, as that represented in Ezekiel's vision: (Ezek. xxxvii.) Yet I do not take upon me to say that it was so; for it is unprofitable too particularly to conjecture on such circumstances which are not recorded. For this reason also I pretend not to say what became of these persons; though, as one can hardly imagine they either immediately returned to their graves, or that they continued to live on earth (because it is only said, they appeared to many), it seems most natural to imagine they ascended into heaven with, or after, our Lord: perhaps from some solitude, to which they might be directed to retire during the intermediate days, and to wait in devout exercises for their change, for surely, had they ascended in the view of others, the memory of such a fact could not have been lost.

q Certainly

The terrified spectators are convinced he is the Son of God.

LUKE XXIII. 48. And all the people that came together to that sight, beholding the

their

done, smote breasts and returned.

419

cxci.

have been cast upon him, truly this man was STCT.
what he declared himself to be, even the Son of
And the soldiers also that at- Mat.
God himself q.
tended the centurion, even they that were with XXVII.
him guarding Jesus on the cross, seeing the earth-54
quake and those other things which were now
done, feared greatly, and said in like manner,
Truly this Jesus of Nazareth, whom we have
been thus insulting and murdering, was the Son
of God; and his heavenly Father will certainly
avenge his quarrel very terribly on us, and on
the whole nation, of the Jews, who have deli-
vered him to us.

r

Luke

And all the multitude that were come together XXIII. on this remarkable occasion, to see this doleful 48 spectacle even some of those who but a little bethings which were fore had been insulting him in his dying agonies, when they saw the things which were done, returned, beating their breasts for sorrow and remorse; in terrible expectation that some sad calamity would speedily befall them and their country, for the indignities and cruelties they had offered to a person for whom God had expressed so high a regard, even in his greatest distress.

IMPROVEMENT.

AND surely we, when we return from such a view of it as this, Luke have reason to smite upon our breasts too, and to be most deeply xxii i.48. affected with what we have heard and seen in this lively descrip

tion.

sometimes attended the death of extraor-
dinary persons, peculiarly dear to the gods,
and among other passages, mentions that
of Plutarch, in which he tells us, that
when Ptolemy had crucified Cleomenes,
while the body hung dead on the cross,
a large serpent wound itself round his face,
and defended it from birds of prey; from
whence the Egyptians concluded he was a
hero more than mortal, and a son of the
gods. See Elsn. Observ. Vol. VI. p. 126,
127.

Certainly this was a righteous man, &c.] The most learned Mr. Wasse of Aynho (whose death since the publication of my first volume is an irreparable loss to the commonwealth of letters) has a dissertation on these words of the centurion, in the first number of the Bibliotheca Literaria, to which I am indebted for several hints in the paraphrase on these verses; but I have ventured to depart from him, in not entirely incorporating Mat. xxvii. 54. with Mark xv. 39. and Luke xxiii. 47. as the two latter only mention the effect of this surprising sight on the centurion, while Matthew give us also an account of the effect it had upon the soldiers, who very probably might repeat the words their officer had spoke but just before, in expressing their sentiments on this occasion.-I shall only add, that Elsner, in a very learned note on this place, has shewn that some of the Heathens had a notion among them, that prodigies, especially storms and earthquakes, VOL. VII. 3 G

r All the multitude.] That is, great multitudes; for it is no way necessary to suppose that every individual person present was thus impressed. The conviction produced by these prodigies undoubtedly made way for the conversion of such a multude by the preaching of the apostles, on the descent of the Spirit, which was but seven weeks after, when these things were fresh in their memories. Acts ii. 41.

420

cxci.

ΧΙΧ.

25, 26

Reflections on the circumstances of the death of Christ.

SECT. tion. Let us set ourselves as with the mother of Jesus, and the beloved disciple, at the foot of the cross; and see whether there be John any sorrow like unto his sorrow, wherewith the Lord afflicted him in the day of his fierce anger, (Lam. i. 12.) Well might the sun Luke grow pale at the sight; well might the earth tremble to support xxii. it! How obdurate must the hearts of those sinners be, who could 44, 45 make a mock of all his anguish, and sport themselves with his dying groans! But surely the blessed angels who were now, though in an invisible crowd, surrounding the accursed tree, beheld him with other sentiments: admiring and adoring the various virtues which he expressed in every circumstance of his xix. behaviour; and which, while this sun of righteousness was setting, 26, 27 gilded and adorned all the horizon. Let us likewise pay our ho28--30 mage to them, and observe with admiration his tenderness to his

Mat.

xxvii. 49

John

Mat.

surviving parent; his meekness under all these injuries and provocations; his steady faith in God in an hour of the utmost distress; and his concern to accomplish all the purposes of his life, before he yielded to the stroke of death.

Yet with what amazement must the holy angels hear that cry from the Son of God, from the darling of heaven, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me! Let not any of the children of xxvii. 46 God wonder if their heavenly Father sometimes withdraw from them the sensible and supporting manifestations of his presence, when Christ himself was thus exercised; and let them remember that faith never appears with greater glory than when, in language like this, it bursts through a thick cloud, and owns, the God of Israel, and the Saviour, even while he is a God that hideth himself from us, (Is. xlv. 15.) May we, in our approaching combat with the king of terrors, find him enervated by the death xxiii.46. of our dear Lord, who thus conquered even when he fell! May we thus breathe out our willing and composed spirits into our Father's hands, with a language and faith like his, as knowing whom we have believed, and being persuaded that he is able to keep what we commit to him until that day! (2 Tim. i. 12.)

Luke

Mat.

51

With pleasure may we survey the awful tokens by which God. xxvii. owned his dying Son, and wiped away the infamy of his cross. The veil is now rent by the death of Jesus; let us be encouraged to come boldly to the throne of grace, and to draw near to the holiest of all, into which he has entered with his own blood, (Heb. iv. 16. ix. 12.) May God render the knowledge of the cross of Christ, 53 the blessed means of shaking the consciences of men with powerful convictions, and of raising them from the death of sin to a life of holiness! And may we be so planted together in the like. ness of his death, that we may at length also be planted in the likeness of his resurrection! (Rom. vi. 5.)

54

SECT.

Many pious women stand and behold him on the cross.

421

SECT. CXCII.

While Christ continues hanging on the cross, his side is pierced, but his legs are not broken: Joseph begs the corpse, and lays it with respect in his own sepulchre. Mat. XXVII. 35-61. Mark XV. 40, to the end. Luke XXIII. 49. to the end. John XIX. 31. to the end.

LUKE XXIII. 49.

AND all his acquaintance, and [many] women, [MARK, who,

when he was in Gali

lee, followed him and

ministered unto him, [and followed him from Galilee, stood afar off, beholding these things: [MA T. XXVII. 55. MARK XV. 40, 41.-]

LUKE XXIII. 49.

SECT.

cxcii.

ND while our Lord was thus expiring on AND the cross, all his familiar acquaintance mingled themselves with the crowd of specta- Luke tors, and stood at a distance viewing these things XXIII. with weeping eyes and sympathizing hearts: and 49 of this number there were many pious women a, who had attended him when he was in Galilee, and had there ministered to him, and liberally assisted him and his disciples with their substance; compare Luke viii. 2, 3. Vol. VI. p. 319, 320.) [and] had now followed him from Galilee to Jerusalem, where they had constantly attended on his preaching in the temple, nor would they leave him in this great and last MA T. XXVII. 56. trial: Among whom there was Mary Magda- Mat. Among which was Mary Magdalene, and lane, and Mary the mother of James the less and XXVII. Mary the mother of of Joses; and there was also the mother of the 56 James [the less,] and [of] Joses, and the apostles James and John, whom we have so mother often mentioned as the sons of Zebedee the fisherman ; and Salome also, and many other

a Many pious women.] I hope I shall give no offence by saying, what I am sure I say very seriously, that the frequent mention which is made in the evangelists of the generous and courageous zeal of some pious women in the service of Christ, and especially of the faithful and resolute constancy with which they attended him in these last scenes of his suffering, might very possibly be intended to obviate that haughty and senseless contempt which the pride of men, often irritated by those vexations to which their own irregular passions have exposed them, has in all ages affect. ed to throw on that sex which, probably in the sight of God, constitute by far the better hals of mankind; and to whose care and tenderness the wisest and best of men generally owe and ascribe much of the daily confort and enjoyment of their lives. And the mother of the sons of Zebedee.]

zealous

Though the construction of the original be
dubious, yet I think it very rational to
conclude that this mother of the sons of Ze-
bedee, or of James the greater and John,
was a different person from the mother of
James the less and Joses; both as the sons
of Zebedee, though such distinguished
friends of Christ are never called his bre-
thren, as James and Joses are, (Mat. xiii.
55. and Mark vi. 3. Vol. VI. p. 385,) and
as some scriptures plainly intimate that no
more than two of the apostles were the sons
of Zebedee.-(See Mat. x. 2. xxvi. 37.
Mark iii. 17.)

c And Salome.] This Salome, who is
mentioned here by Mark, is commonly
supposed to be the mother of Zebedee's chil-
dren mentioned by Matthew: but as it is
expressly said there were many other women
present, she might possibly be some other
disciple, and there is no sufficient reason to

conclude

422

Mat.

XIX.31.

The legs of Jesus are not broken but his side is pierced.

and many other wo

-40, 41.]

paration, that the bo

SECT. zealous and affectionate women, who came up mother of Zebedee's excii. with him to this passover at Jerusalem, and who children, [and Salome, had the courage to attend him, even when his men, which came up XXVII. apostles themselves had forsaken him and fled. with him unto Jeru56 Then, as the day was drawing to a close, the salem.] [MARK XV. John Jews were very solicitous, because it was now JOHN XIX. 31. the preparation for the sabbath, that the bodies The Jews therefore, might not remain all night upon the cross, which because it was the pretheir law expressly forbad, (Deut. xxi. 22, 23.) dies should not reand more especially they were concerned that main upon the cross the sabbath-day, this profanation might not happen on the sab- on (for that sabbath-day bath day, (for that sabbath, being the first which was an high-day,) befollowed the passover, was a great day of pecu- sought Pilate that their liar solemnity :) they went therefore and en- legs might be broken, and that they might be treated Pilate that he would send an order to the taken away." soldiers, who were watching the crucified persons, that their legs might be broken, the more effectually to dispatch them, if they were not quite dead, and [that] they might then be taken 32 away. And Pilate upon this gave orders that it should accordingly be done : the soldiers therefore who guarded the execution, came and the other which was brake the legs of the first malefactor, or of him crucified with him. that hung nearest the place where they had been sitting; and then passing by Jesus, who hung in the middle, they went and brake the legs of 33 the other who was crucified with him. But coming afterwards to Jesus, they did not break his legs, as they saw it was needless since it was plain he was already dead: and they were now his legs. impressed with some degree of reverence even to his corpse, by the amazing prodigies which they 34 had just now seen. But yet one of the soldiers

32 Then came the

soldiers, and brake the

legs of the first, and of

33 But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not

34 But one of the

forthwith came there

had so much boldness and inhumanity, that he soldiers with a spear
pierced his side with a long lance or spear, which pierced his side, and
he had in his hand; and immediately there came out blood and water.
out of the wound both blood and water mingled
with it which made it plainly appear that

conclude they were the same. (Compare
Mark xvi. 1.)

d For that sabbath was a great day.] It
was (as Dr. Whitby in his paraphrase bas
well observed) not only a sabbath, but the
second day of the feast of unleavened bread,
from whence they reckoned the weeks to
pentecost; and also the day for presenting
and offering the sheaf of new corn: so that
it was indeed a treble solemnity.-See note b
on Luke vi. 1. Vol. VI. p. 267.

e Might be taken away.] It was customary, as Bishop Pearson, (on the Creed,

had

p. 218.) has abundantly proved, to let the bodies of persons who had been executed continue on the crosses or stakes till they were eaten up by birds of prey: but as this was forbidden to the Jews, the Roman governors probably used to oblige them by permitting such bodies as belonged to them to be buried.

There came out blood and water.] I do not pretend to determine whether this was, as Dr. Drake supposes (in his Anatomy, Vol. I. p. 106.) the small quantity of water inclosed in the pericardium, in which

the