400 clxxxviii. Jesus taken to be crucified with two malefactors; SECT. bow down in glad submission to that King whom God has set on his holy hill, and thus are brought themselves to reign with him in everlasting honour and joy! SECT. CLXXXIX. SECT. Jesus, being delivered up by Pilate to the rage of the people, bears JOHN XIX.-16. Mat. XXVII. JOHN XIX.-16. sus, and led him away. elxxix. NOW after Pilate had passed sentence upon AND they took JeJesus, to satisfy the restless clamour of the John Jews, and had delivered him to the soldiers to XIX. 16 be crucified, his prosecutors, having gained their point, hastened his execution; and having insulted and abused him (as was said before), they took Jesus, and led him away to that terrible punishment. Luke XXIII. 32 John LUKE XXIII. 32. two other malefactors And, to expose him to the greater ignominy and reproach, and to prejudice the people more And there were also strongly against him, there were also two other led with him, to be put [men, who were] condemned to die upon the to death. cross for a robbery, and were well known to be great malefactors, that were led out of Jerusalem with him, to be executed at the same time; that in such company he might be thought to suffer for the worst of crimes. And Jesus, thus attended as a criminal, was XIX. 17 led through the city, carrying a heavy part of his cross on his shoulders, according to the custom of those who were to be crucified; and in this manner he went out of the city to a place which lay on the western side of Jerusalem, but a little without the boundaries of it, which a They took Jesus and led him away.] It is evident this text is parallel to Mat. xxvi. -31, and Mark xv.-20. But I have here, as in some other instances of two or more parallel passages, put one at the conclusion of a former section, and the other at the beginning of the next, for a better connection. I may also add that this seems to me the exact place of Mat. xxvii. 3---10, in which the evangelist relates the tragical end of Judas; but I hope I shall be indulged in transposing it, partly that I may preserve a better proportion in the length of the sections, and chiefly that I may not in was JOHN XIX. 17. And he bearing his cross, called the place of 2 went forth into a place scull, terrupt the important story of Christ's pas sion: and I more easily allow myself to do it, because probably the very same consi❤ deration engaged Matthew a little to anticipate it. Let it only here be observed, that the death of this traitor seems to have happened before that of his Master: so speedily did the Divine vengeance pursue his aggravated crime. b Carrying a heavy part of his cross, went out of the city, &c.] Dr. Lardner has abundantly proved, from many quotations, that it was customary not only for the Jews (Numb. xv. 35. 1 Kings xxi. 13. Acts And bearing his cross, is led away to Golgotha. 401 scull, which is called was called in the Hebrew language Golgotha, SECT. in the Hebrew, Gol- [or] the place of a scull; because the bodies of clxxxix. many criminals, having been executed on that John gotha. LUKE XXIII. 26. ander and Rufus, who little eminence, were buried there. XIX. 17. And as they led him on, Jesus was now so faint Luke And as they led him with the loss of blood, so very sore with the XXIII. away, [they found a man of Cyrene, Simon lashes and bruises he had received, and so fa-26 by name,] [MARK, tigued with the load of such a large piece of timthe father of Alex ber, that he was not able to proceed so fast as passed by, coming out they desired, especially considering how little of the country, and] time they had before them to finish their work. they laid hold on him; And as he was advancing slowly to the place of pelled to bear his execution, they met on the road a poor African, cross] and on him who was a native of Cyrene, named Simon, the they laid the cross, father of Alexander and Rufus, who afterwards that he might bear it after Jesus. [MAT. became Christians, and were of some note in XXVII. 32. MARK the church: this Simon at that time was passing XV. 21.] [and him they com 27 And there fol women, which also be him. by, as he came out of the country to Jerusalem; And a great multitude of people crowded after 27 lowed him a great com- bim to see the crucifixion; and particularly a pany of people, and of considerable number of women, who had atwailed and lamented tended his ministry with great delight, followed him on this sad occasion; who were so tenderly affected with the moving sight, that they not only pitied him in their hearts, but also vented their concern in tears, and bewailed and lamented him in a very affectionate manner. But Jesus 28 turning to them, said, Alas, ye daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, who am willing to submit to all the sufferings appointed for me, as selves, and for your what I know will issue in the salvation of my people, and in my exaltation to the highest glory; but rather weep for yourselves, and for your children, in consideration of the dreadful judgments 28 But Jesus turn ing unto them, said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for your children. Acts vii. 58), but also for the Sicilians, Ephesians, and Romans, to execute their malefactors without the gates of their cities. (See his Credibility, part i. Vol. I. p. 354, 355.)-What our Lord carried, was not the whole cross, but only that transverse piece of wood to which his arms were afterwards fastened; and which was called antennæ, 402 The women weep for him, are bid to weep for themselves. clxxxix. Luke down upon the which they shall that never bare, and 30 Then shall they begin to say to the SECT. judgments that these crimes will quickly bring upon this wretched people, whose calamities will be of much longer duration than mine. XXIII. For, let it be remembered by you as my dying 29 For behold, the 29 words, behold the days are surely and quickly days are coming, in coming, and some of you may live to see them, say, Blessed are the in which the innocent blood which this people barren, and the wombs have imprecated upon themselves shall come their heads in so terrible a manner, that they shall have reason to say, Happy [are] the barren women, and the wombs which never bare children, and the breasts that never suckled them for as relations are multiplied, sorrows shall be multiplied with them, and parents shall see their children subject to all the miseries which famine, and pestilence, and sword, and 30 captivity can bring upon them. Then shall they who are now triumphing in my death be trem- mountains, Fall on us; bling with horror, in expectation of their own; and to the hills, Cover and, considering present calamities as the fore- us. runners of future, yet more intolerable miseries shall begin, in despair of the Divine mercy, to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us, from the more dreadful pressure of 31 God's wrath, which is kindled against us. For if they do these things in the green wood, what these things in a green shall be done in the dry? If such agonies as these done in the dry? fall upon me, who am not only an innocent person, but God's own Son, when I put myself in the stead of sinners, what will become of those wretches who can feel none of my supports and consolations, and whose personal guilt makes them as proper fuel for the Divine vengeance, as dry wood is to the consuming fire? Mat. 33 31 For if they do tree, what shall be MAT. XXVII. 35. come to [the] place At length they arrived at the place of execuXXVII, tion: and when they were come thither, even to And when they were the place which (we before observed) was called called Golgotha, that in Hebrew Golgotha, that is to say, the place of a is to say, [the] place of scull, a little without the city [on] mount Cal- a scull [LUKE, or Calvary],[MARK XV. 22. vary (which was the usual place for executing LUKE XXIII. 53.] criminals, and seemed a proper spot of ground for the purpose, as on account of its eminence the malefactors crucified there might be seen at a considerable distance, and by a great number gled 34 of spectators); They proceeded to the fatal 34 They gave him purpose for which they came: and as it was vinegar to driuk, myncustomary to give to dying criminals a potion of strong wine mingled with spices, to cheer their spirits, and render them less sensible of their sufferings, the soldiers who attended him gave him he would not drink. They give him vinegar mingled with gall. 403 SECT. clxxxix. Mat. gled with gall; and when him nothing better to drink than vinegar mingled And they also gave mingled with myrrh: but he received it not. him to drink, wine MARK XV. 23. valuable end to do it. And, as some of his Mark 25 And it was the third hour, and [there] And it was now the third hour of the day, or 25 nine o'clock in the morning, when they thus they crucified him :LUKE XXII.-33.- brought him to mount Calvary; and there, when JOHN XIX. 18.-] all things were made ready, they nailed his hands and his feet to the cross, and crucified him. 27 And with him And they also crucified with him the two malethey crucify [LURE, factor's [or] robbers, that were mentioned bethe malefactors, or] fore, the one on his right-hand, and the other on two thieves, the one on his right-hand, the left; and they placed Jesus in the midst, as and the other on his a mark of the greatest indignity, to prejudice left, [JOHN, and Je the multitude the more against him, and to inSUS 30 the midst.] [MAT. duce them to regard him as the most infamous They gave him also wine to drink, ming led with myrrh.] Some think that this was sour wine, called vinegar by Matthew; but I apprehend the reasons which Dr. Edwards has produced (Exercit. part ii. No. 2. p. 178-188.) sufficiently prove that this wine mingled with myrrh was a different mixture from the vinegar and gall, which he received so far as to taste it. Probably those pious women, some of them (as the story shews) persons in plentiful circumstances, whose zeal engaged them to follow him to Calvary, and afterwards so liberally to prepare unguents and aromatic drugs for his embalming, had provided on this sad occasion some rich wine tempered with choice spices, which with perfect propriety he refused to taste, lest malice should insinuate he intended thereby to render himself insensible of the terrors of death. d It was now the third hour of the day, or nine o'clock in the morning.] I can by no means agree with Vossius, and some other critics, to read it here the sixth hour; for there ought to be very cogent reasons VOL. VII. criminal for departing from the authority of all 3 E • And 404 Reflections on the crucifixion of Christ. 28 And the scripture SECT. criminal of the three. And thus the scripture [M A T. XXVII. 38. clxxxix was remarkably fulfilled, (Isa. liii. 12.) in which JOHN XIX.-18.] the prophet Isaiah, speaking with an amaz- was fulfilled, which XV. 28. ing plainness of the sufferings of the Messiah, saith, And he was saith," And he was numbered with the trans- t ansgressors. Mark Luke gressors *." And Jesus made no manner of resistance to XXI1134 this cruel violence, nor did he revile them even when they were distorting his limbs as on a rack, and nailing his hands and his feet on the full stretch to the accursed tree; but, in the midst of his anguish, he breathed out his soul in a compassionate prayer for his murderers; and pleading the only excuse which the most extensive charity could suggest, he said, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they are doing f: The Roman soldiers, who were the immediate instruments of his death, having indeed but little knowledge of him; and the Jews, who were the authors of it, through their obstinate prejudices not apprehending who he was: " for if they had known him, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory." (1 Cor. ii. §.). John XIX. IMPROVEMENT. numbered with the LURE XXIII. 34. -Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. HERE let us pause a while, and make a few serious reflections on this amazing story, which the evangelists relate with so much simplicity. Behold the Son of God bearing his cross, faint17, 18 ing under the load of it, and at length extended upon it, and nailed to it. Him they took, and with wicked hands crucified and slew him, (Acts ii. 23.) Blessed Jesus, was it for this that thou didst honour our nature by a union to thine own, and come from thy throne of glory to visit these abodes of misery and guilt! Was it for this that so many gracious discourses were delivered, and so many works of love and power performed! for this, that thou mightest be treated as the worst of criminals, and suspended on a cross in the air, as if unworthy of a place on earth even to die Mark XV. 27, 28 e And he was numbered with the transgressors.] I choose, in quotations from the Old Testament, to keep as close to our English version of the passage quoted as the Greek will allow me, that the memory of the hearer may assist him in distinguishing the text; else I should have rendered avowy, criminals, as the word y, which Isaiah uses, seems also the boundaries he has prescribed but this upon! f Father, forgive them, &c.] This is one of the most striking passages in the world. While they are actually nailing him to the cross, he seems to feel the injury these poor creatures did to their own souls, more than the wounds they gave him; aud as it were to forget his own anguish, in a concern for their salvation. I render Two, what they are doing, as thinking that version most expressive of the present circumstance; and indeed it is the exact import of what grammarians call the pre sent tense. |