420 схсі. John XIX. 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 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 xxi. 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. to the end. LUKE XXIII. 49. AND all his acquain women, [MARK, who, lee, followed him and MARK XV. 40, 41.-] Luke XXIII. 49. to the end. John XIX. 31. LUKE XXIII. 49. SECT. схсії. tance, and (many] AND while our Lord was thus expiring on the cross, all his familiar acquaintance when he was in Gali- mingled themselves with the crowd of specta- Luke ministered unto him, tors, and stood at a distance viewing these things XXIII. [and followed him from with weeping eyes and sympathizing hearts: and 49 Galilee, stood afar off, of this number there were many pious women 3, beholding these things: who had attended him when he was in Galilee, [MA T. XXVII. 55. 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 MAT. 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 James [the less,] and apostles James and John, whom we have so [f] Joses, and the mother often mentioned as the sons of Zebedee the fisherman; and Salome also, and many other 2 Many pious women.] I hope I shall give no offence by saying, what I am sure say very seriously, that the frequent mention which is made in the evangelists of the generous and courageous zeal of some plous 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 affected to throw on that sex which, probably in the sight of God, constitute by far the better half of mankind; and to whose care and tenderness the wisest and best of men generally one and ascribe much of the daily confort and enjoyment of their lives. bind the mother of the sons of Zebedee.] zealous Though the construction of the original be c And Salone.] This Salome, who is conclude 56 422 Mat. XIX.31. The legs of Jesus are not broken but his side is pierced. and many other wo salem.] [MARK XV. paration, that the bo the sabbath-day, SECT. zealous and affectionate women, who came up mother of Zebedee's exen 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 -40, 41.] 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 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 legs might be broken, liar solemnity :) they went therefore and enand 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 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 had so much boldness and inhumanity, that he pierced his side with a long lance or spear, which he had in his hand; and immediately there came out of the wound both blood and water mingled with it which made it plainly appear that conclude they were the same. (Compare d For that sabbath was a great day.] It e Might be taken away.] It was customary, as Bishop Pearson, (on the Creed, had 32 Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of 93 But when they came to Jesus, and saw ready, they brake not that he was dead al his legs. 34 But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and out blood and water. forthwith came there 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 These things were done that the scripture might be fulfilled. 35 And he that saw it, bare record, and his схсіі. 423 had he been living, the wound would have been SECT. mortal, having reached his very heart; and consequently put it out of all doubt that he John was really dead, before he was taken down XIX. 31 from the cross. And as this was so important, and indeed so 35 record is true: and he fundamental a point, it may not be improper knoweth that he saith to add, that it was one who saw [it] who has borne true, that ye might [this] testimony, and recorded so remarkable believe, ken. a circumstance; and therefore his witness is un- 36 For these things For, however inconsiderable these things may 36 were done, that the be appear, they were permitted in the course of scripture should fulfilled, A bone of Divine Providence to be done, that thus the him shall not be bro- scripture might be remarkably fulfilled, in what it says concerning the paschal lamb, which did in so many circumstances resemble Christ (Exod. xii. 46, and Num. ix. 12.) "Not a bone of it shall be broken":" a precept which, among many others, was given on purpose to lead the minds of believers to reflect on the harmony and unity of design carried on (though by such a variety of persons, in no concert with each other) under the Old Testament and under the New. And again, there is another 37 scripture, which says, concerning the Jews, when they are to be converted to the Messiah in the latter days, "They shall look on him whom they have pierced," (Zech. xii. 10.) for which 37 And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced. the heart swims; or whether the cruor was now almost coagulated, and separated from the serum: either way, it was a certain proof of Christ's death; for he could not have survived such a round had it been given him in perfect health. z So important and fundamental a point.] The grand evidence of Christ's mission in his resurrection, which implies the certainty of his death: and this crucifirion might have seemed, on a slight view, a less proper execution than some others, such as beheading, burning, and the like; but this wound would effectually exclude all pretences of his having been taken down alive by his iends; and accordingly that is an evasion reason which, false and malicious as his enemies course to. h Not a bone of it shall be broken.] Dr. Arthur Young (in his Historical Dissertation on Revelation designed to prevent Superstition, Vol. I. p. 196, 203, 204.) has a particular thought on the reason of this prohibition, that it was intended to oppose the manner in which the Egyptian sacrifices were sometimes pulled to pieces: but I think the reason suggested in the paraphrase much more certain and important. It is very well illustrated in An Essay on the several Dispensations of God, &c. Pref. p. xxii, & seq. ¡ Went 424 схсіі. Mark 50 MARK XV. 42. And now [JOHN, after this] when the even was LUKE XXIII. 50. a rich man of Arima XXVII.-57.— MARK 51.-] -51 The same had not consented to the Joseph goes to Pilate and begs the body of Jesus. SECT. reason God permitted them not only to pierce the hands and the feet of Jesus with nails, but also to open his side by that deep and large John XIX. 37. wound which we have now been mentioning. And quickly after these things, as it was near XV. 42. sun-set, and the evening was now come, because (as we have observed) it was the preparation, or come, because it was the close of the day before the sabbath (John the preparation, that is, xix. 31.) for it was Friday evening, and the sab- the day before the sabbath; [MAT. XXVII. bath, which would begin at six o'clock, was 57.-JOHN XIX. 58.] near at hand, in which no work could lawfully Luke be done; Behold, there came to the goverXXIII. nor's palace a certain rich man of Arimathea Behold, there came (a city of the Jews, anciently called Ramoth, thea,] [LUKE, a city which lay in the tribe of Ephraim, and was the of the Jews,] named city of Samuel, that celebrated prophet), and he Joseph, [MARK, an honourable counsellor,] was named Joseph, and was a person of consi- and he was a good man, derable note, being an honourable counsellor, or and a just: [MAT. member of the sanhedrim, who had a general reputation as a benevolent and upright man. 51 The same was not concerned with the rest of his fellow-senators in putting Jesus to death, and had not given the concurrence of his vote to the them; [but was one] counsel and action of them that condemned him; who also himse if waited [but was one] who also himself humbly and af- for the kingdom of God, fectionately waited for the kingdom of God, being of Jesus, but seeretly, indeed a disciple of Jesus, though secretly; be- for fear of the Jews.] cause he durst not openly profess his belief in [MAT. XXVII-57. him for fear of the Jews and their rulers, who JOHN XIX.-38.-] 52 were so strongly prejudiced against him. This 52 This man went man, awakened by the prodigies attending his [MARK, in boldly] undeath to greater courage than he had before, to Pilate, and bezged though he knew it must necessarily draw upon take away the body of him the hatred and contempt of his brethren, yet Jesus.] [MAT. XXVII. went in boldly to the presence of Pilate', and beg- 58.-MARK XV-4. ged his permission that he might take away the JOHN XIX-38.-] body of Jesus, to preserve it from further insults, and bury it in a decent and respectful manner. And when Pilate heard his request, considerXV. 44. ing bow lingering an execution that of the cross were already dead; was, he thought it strange if he were already dead, and calling unto him and would not easily believe it; and therefore, the centurion, he asked having called the centurion to him, who was ap- been any while dead. pointed to guard the bodies, he asked him whe45 ther he had been dead any time. And when he 45 And when he Mark i Went in boldly to Pilate.] It was indeed a courageous act for this rich and noble senator thus publicly to own his friendship to Jesus in the midst of his greatest in famy; and a person of such sagacity could not but know that, if a resurrection knew counsel and deed of [JOHN, being a disciple MARK XV. — 43. — [JOHN, that he might MARK XV. 44. And Pilate marvelled it he him whether be had should happen, nothing would have been |