the nails, instead of crying out through the acuteness of his pain, he calmly though fervently prayed for them, and for all who had any hand in his death, beseeching God to forgive them, and excusing them by the only circumstance that could alleviate their guilt their ignorance. Luke xxiii. 33. And when they were come to the place which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, i. e. nailed him to his cross; and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left. 34. Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. This was infinite meekness and goodness, truly worthy of God's only begotten Son; an example of forgiveness, which though it never can be equalled by any, is fit to be imitated by all. Dr Heylin (Theolog. Lect. p. 103. at the end of the vol.) has well described our Lord's passion as follows: "The appointed soldiers dig the hole in which the cross was to be erected. The nails, and the hammer are ready. The cross is placed on the ground, and Jesus lies down upon the bed of sorrows. They nail him to it. They erect it. His nerves crack. His blood distils. He hangs upon his wounds," naked, "a spectacle to heaven and earth.” Thus was the only begotten Son of God, who came down to save the world, crucified by his own creatures*. Hear, O heavens! O earth, earth, earth, hear! The Lord hath nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against him.

The ignominy of his punishment may be learned from a heathen: Cic. pro Rabir. "Misera est ignominia judiciorum publicorum, misera multatio bonorum, miserum exilium; sed tamen in omni calamitate retinetur aliquod vestigium libertatis; mors denique si proponitur, in libertate moriamur. Carnifex vero, et obductio capitis, et nomen ipsum crucis, absit non modo a corpore civium Romanorum, sed etiam à cogitatione, occulis, auribus. Harum enim omnium rerum non solum eventus atque perpessio, sed etiam conditio, expectatio, mentio denique indigna civa Romano, atque homine libero est " In Verrem, lib. 5. Facinus est vincire civem Romanum. scelus verberare, prope parricidium necare. Quid dicam in crucem tollere? crudelissimum teterrimumque supplicium: verbo satis digno tam nefaria res appellari nullomodo potest."

§ CXLV. The title is put on the cross, and lots are cast for Christ's garments. Matt. xxvii. 35,-38. Mark xv. 24,28. Luke xxiii. 34. John xix. 19,--24.

As usual, the governor put up a title or writing on the cross, signifying the crime for which Jesus was condemned. This writing was in black characters, on a whitened board, and in the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin languages, that foreigners as well as natives might be able to read it. All the evangelists have given an account of the title; but the words of it are different in each, which may seem strange, considering that it is an inscription they have undertaken to relate, the propriety whereof lieth in the precise words. But the difference may easily have arisen from

the

the languages in which the title was wrote; for one evangelist may have transcribed the words of the Greek inscription, a second might translate the Hebrew, a third the Latin, and a fourth may have given a different translation of the Hebrew or Latin. Thus the inscription of the title may be exactly given by each of the evangelists, though the words they have mentioned be different, especially as they all agree in the meaning of it: Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews. (See Prelim. Observ. I.) When the priests read this title they were exceedingly displeased; because, as it represented the crime for which Jesus was condemned, it insinuated that he had been acknowledged for Messiah. Besides, being placed over the head of one who was dying by the most infamous punishment, it implied that all who attempted to deliver the Jews should come to the same end. Wherefore, the faith and hope of the nation being thus publicly ridiculed, the priests thought themselves highly affronted, and came to Pilate in great concern, begging that the writing might be altered. But he would not hear them, having intended the affront because they had constrained him to crucify Jesus, contrary both to his judgment and inclination. John xix. 19. And Plate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. (See Mart. xxvii. 37. p. 769. Mark xv. 26. p. 769. Luke xxiii. 38. p. 771.) 20. This title then read many of the Jews; for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin. 21. Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews, but that he said, I am King of the Jews. 22. Pilate answered, What I have written, I have written. When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, i. e. erected his cross, they divided his garments, and cast lots for the shares. His coat was excepted out of this division, because being without a seam, they agreed to cast lots for it by itself. The evangelists observe that all this was done agreeably to an ancient prophecy, wherein these circumstances of Messiah's sufferings were mentioned, to shew that he was to be crucified naked, and consequently that he was to suffer a most ignominious, as well as a most painful death. 23. Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, (and made four parts, to every soldier a part) and also his coat:

*

11070

John 23. Four parts, &c] Because four soldiers only are mentioned in the division of the clothes, it does not follow that there were but four present at the crucifixion. Since soldiers were necessary at all, a great number must have been present to keep off the crowds which press to see such spectacles as near as they can. From Matt, xxvii. 54. it appears, that the soldiers who assisted at the crucifixion were commanded by a centu rion. Wherefore, it is more than probable that the whole band, which Matthew tells us expressly was gathered together to scourge Jesus, ver. 27.

(

now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout.. (See Jewish Antiq. p. 145.) 24. They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rent it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be. Luke xxiii. 34. And they parted his raiment, (Mark, When they had crucified nim they parted his garments) and cast lots,. (Mark, casting lots upon them, what every man should take). Matt. xxvii. 35. That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon (John, for) my vesture they did cast lots. John xix. 24. These things therefore the soldiers did. Mark xv. 25. * And it was

- the

was present at his execution, especially as two others suffered at the same time. The four soldiers who parted his garments, and cast lots for his vesture, were the four who nailed him to the cross, each of them fixing a limb, and who it seems for this service had a right to the crucified person's clothes.

* Mark xv. 25. And it was the third hour, &c.] The third Jewish hour ended at our nine o'clock in the morning. By Mark's account, therefore, the crucifixion and the lots may have been finished at the striking of eight, when the third Jewish hour, answering to our ninth, began. This indeed seems inconsistent with John xix. 13. who tells us, that when Pilate st in the judgment-seat in the Pavement, and brought Jesus out to the people the last time, it was about the sixth hour, the sixth Roman hour, the same with our six o'clock in the morning. See Prelim. Observ. V. but to reconcile these seemingly opposite accounts, the following series of transactions should be considered. After the governor brought Jesus out, he spake both to the people and to the priests, before he finally condemn ed him. And though each speech is discussed by the evangelist in a single sentence, they may have been drawn out to some length, that, if possible, an impression might therely be made on the people. When Jesus was defivered to the soldiers, they had to strip him of the purple robe, and ta clothe him in his own garments; the thieves were to be brought out of prison; the necessary preparations for the crucifixion of the three were to be made-in particular, crosses were to be provided; the crimes laid to the charge of the prisoners were to be written on whitened boards with black characters; vinegar with a sponge and a reed was to be got for refreshing the criminals, and keeping then from fainting under their pu nishment; soldiers were to be appointed for watching the crosses; and these had to provide themselves victuals, because persons sometimes lived on their crosses several days. In travelling from the prætorium, which may have ben situated in that quarter of the town which was farthest from the place of execution, they could move but slowly, hecause Jesus being very much fatigued, must have borne his cross with difficulty. When he grew faint it would be some time before they could find one to assist him in bearing it. And being come to the place of execution, they had the crosses to make ready, by fixing the transverse beams on their proper stalks, the prisoners were to be stripped and nailed, the titles were to be affixed, the holes for the crosses to be dug, the crosses themselves were to be erected and fixed, and, last of all, the prisoners clothes were to be divided by lot. These, with other circumstances unknown to us, accompanying executions of this kind, may be supposed to have filed up the whole space between six in the morning, when the governor shewed Jesus the last time, and the third Jewish hour, when Jesus was crucified; that is to say, a space less than two hours. For about the sixth hour, the expres sion in John, may signify a while after the striking of six, when the sixth

heur

the third hour, and they crucified him; or rather, it was the third hour when they crucified him. See an example of this construction, Neh. vii. ult. LXX. or according to some editions, viii. 1. The evangelist means that it was the third Jewish hour when the cross was erected, and the clothes divided; for he had mentioned our Lord's being nailed to the cross in the precedent verse. Matt. xxvii. 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. Mark xv. 26. And the superscription of his accusation was written over, THE KING OF THE JEWS. Here Matthew and Mark introduce the affair of the title as if it had happened after the lots; whereas John expressly affirms, that the title was put on before the lots were cast. But to reconcile the evangelists, we need only give the aorist « in Matthew, its ordinary plusquamperfect signification thus: Now they had set up over his head his accusation: They had set it up before they erected the cross, or immediately after; for the nature of the thing makes it evident that they must have done it before the soldiers who crucified Jesus parted his raiment, as John tells us, and before they sat down to watch him; a circumstance mentioned by Matthew himself, before he speaks of the titic. Accordingly Mark speaks of it as a thing formerly done: And the superscription of his accusation was written over, THE KING OF THE JEWS." Matt. xxvii. 38. Then were there two thieves crucified with him: (Mark, with him they crucify tavo thieves) one on the right. hand, and the other on the left. They placed Jesus in the middle, by way of mock honour, because he had called himself a king, and was now crowned with thorns. Or if the priests had any hand in this, they might design thereby to impress the spectators the more strongly with the thought of his being an impostor, and to make them look on him as the chief malefactor. This passage is reconciled with Luke xxiii. 33. p. 766. by supposing that Luke speaks of the nailing of the three to their crosses, whereas Matthew and Mark speak of the erection of the CTOSSES. Mark xv. 28. And the Scripture was fulfilled which saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors. In giving the history of our Lord's sufferings, the evangelists make their readers sensible, that all the circumstances of them were foreordained of God. Their design was to prevent the offence which might otherwise have been taken at Christ's sufferings.

CXLVI.

hour ends; and the third bour, the expression in Mark, answering to the ninth Roman hour, may signay at the beginning thereof, or at the's riking of eight, when the eighth bour ends, and the ninth begins

§ CXLVI. The mob, the rulers, the priests, the soldiers, and the thieves, revile Jesus. Matt. xxvii. 39,-44. Mark xv. 29, -32. Luke xxiii. 35,-43.

THE common people, whom the priests had incensed against our Lord by the malicious lies which they spread concerning him, and which they pretended to found on the evidence of the witnesses, seeing him hang as a malefactor on the cross, and reading the superscription that was placed over his head, expressed their indignation against him by railing on him. Mark xv. 29. And they that passed by railed on him, (Matt. reviled him) wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, 30. Save thyself, and (Matt. if thou be the Son of God) come down from the cross. The rulers having, as they imagined, wholly overturned our Lord's pretensions as Messiah, ridiculed him on that head, and with a meanness of soul which will render them for ever infamous, mocked him while in the agonies of death. Luke xxiii. 35. And the people stood beholding; and the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others: Matt. xxvii. 42. The chief priests mocking him with the scribes and elders, said, He saved others, himself he cannot save: if he be the king of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, (Mark, let Christ the king of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see his miraculous power) and we will believe him. They scoffed at the miracles of healing by which he demonstrated himself Messiah, and promised faith on condition he would prove his pretensions by coming down from the cross. In the mean time, nothing could be more false and hypocritical, for they continued in their unbelief, notwithstanding Jesus raised himself from the dead, which was a much greater miracle than his coming down from the cross would have been; a miracle also that was attested by witnesses whose veracity they could not call in question. It was told them by the soldiers whom they had themselves placed at the sepulchre to watch his body. I think it plain, therefore, that the priests said they would believe if Jesus came down, not because their incorrigible stubbornness would have yielded to any proof, however convincing, but to insult Christ; fancying it impossible for him now to escape out of their hands. 43. He trusted in God, let him deliver him now if he will have him, (es lines autov, if he delights in him) for he said, I am the Son of God. It is difficult to tell what it was the ru lers here alluded to. Perhaps those who now spake were the persons who attended Judas and the armed band when they apprehended Jesus, Luke xxii. 52. On that occasion they had heard him order Peter to put up his sword, telling him, Matt. xxvi. 53. "That he could pray to his Father, and he would give him more than twelve legions of angels." In derision of this expression