3 faying, that he himself is Chrift, a king. And Pilate afked him, faying, Art thou the king of the Jews? And he answered him and faid, Thou fayeft it (b). 4 Then faid Pilate to the chief Priefts and to the 5 people, I find no fault in this man. And they were the more fierce, faying, He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Jewry, beginning from Ga6 lilee to this place. When Pilate heard of Galilee, 7 he afked whether the man were a Galilean. And as foon as he knew that he belonged unto Herod's jurifdiction, he fent him to Herod, who himself was alfo at Jerufalem at that time.

8

And when Herod faw Jefus, he was exceeding glad for he was defirous to fee him of a long feafon, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have feen fome miracle done by him. 9 Then he queftioned with him in many words; but 10 he answered him nothing. And the chief priests

and fcribes flood, and vehemently accufed him. II And Herod with his men of war fet him at nought, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, and fent him again to Pilate.

12

And the fame day Pilate and Herod were made friends together; for before they were at enmity between themselves.

13 And Pilate, when he had called together the chief 14 priefts, and the rulers, and the people, Said unto them, Ye have brought this man unto me, as one that perverteth the people: and behold, I having examined him before you, have found no fault in this man touching thofe things whereof ye accuse him; No, nor yet Herod: for I fent you to him, and lo, nothing worthy of death is done unto 16 him (c). I will therefore chaftife him, and releafe him. 17 For of neceffity he must release one unto them at the

15

(b) See Matt. xxvii. 11. Mark xv. 2. John xviii. 37. (c) Nothing is done by him that deferved death.

feaft.

18 feaft. And they cried out all at once, faying, Away 19 with this man, and release unto us Barabbas: (Who for a certain fedition made in the city, and for mur20 der, was caft into prifon.) Pilate therefore will21 ing to release Jefus, fpake again to them, But 22 they cried, faying, Crucify him, crucify him. And he faid unto them the third time, Why, what evil hath he done? I have found no caufe of death in him: I will therefore chastise him, and 23 let him go. And they were inftant with loud voices, requiring that he might be crucified: and the voices 24 of them, and of the chief priests, prevailed. And

Pilate gave fentence that it should be as they requir25 ed. And he released unto them him that for fedition and murder was caft into prifon, whom they had defired; but he delivered Jefus to their will. 26 And as they led him away, they laid hold upon one Simon a Cyrenian, coming out of the country, and on him they laid the crofs, that he might bear it after Jefus (d).

27

And there followed him a great company of people, and of women, which alfo bewailed and la28 mented him. But Jefus turning unto them, faid,

Daughters of Jerufalem, weep not for me, but 29 weep for yourselves, and for your children. For behold, the days are coming, in the which they fhall fay, Bleffed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave fuck. Then fhall they begin to fay to the moun31 tains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us. For

30

if they do these things in a green tree, what fhall 32 be done in the dry (e)? And there were alfo two

(d) See Matt, xxvii. 32.

other

(e) If a green and fruitful tree be thus rooted up and destroyed, how much more shall the barren, and decayed? If God in his holy providence thinks fit to fuffer the righteous and meritorious to be thus cut off, what have the ungodly and the finner to expect, but

the

other malefactors (f) led with him to be put to 33 death. And when they were come to the place which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors; one on the right hand, and the other on the left.

34 Then faid Jefus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his rai35 ment, and caft lots. And the people ftood beholding: and the rulers alfo with them derided him, faying, He faved others; let him fave himself, if he be 36 Chrift the chofen of God. And the foldiers alfo

mocked him, coming to him, and offering him 37 vinegar, And faying, If thou be the king of the 38 Jews, fave thyfelf. And a fuperfcription alfo was written over him, in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

39

And one of the malefactors, which were hanged, railed on him, faying, If thou be Chrift, fave thy40 felf and us. But the other anfwering, rebuked him, faying, Doft not thou fear God, feeing thou art in 41 the fame condemnation (g)? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this 42 man hath done nothing amifs. And he faid

unto Jefus, Lord, remember me when thou com43 eft into thy kingdom. And Jefus faid unto him,

verily I fay unto thee, To-day fhalt thou be with 44 me in paradife. And it was about the fixth hour,

and there was a darkness over all the earth until the

the fevereft of the divine judgments, which are ready to fall upon this impenitent nation?

(f) Two other perfons who were malefactors.

(g) What! Have you not yet the fear of God before your eyes? Do you, even at the very time of your fuffering for your crimes, join with thefe wretched fcoffers to revile an unhappy inan, who is brought to this punishment without having done any thing to deferve it?

4

45 ninth

45 ninth hour. And the fun was darkened, and the vail of the temple was rent in the midft.

46

48

And when Jefus had cried with a loud voice, he faid, Father, into thy hands I commend my fpirit (h): 47 and having faid thus he gave up the Ghoft. Now when the Centurion faw what was done, he glorified God, faying, Certainly this was a righteous man (i). And all the people that came together to that fight, beholding the things which were done, fmote their breafts, and returned. And all his acquaintance, and the women that followed him from Galilee, ftood afar off beholding these things. 50 And behold there was a man named Joseph, a counsellor, and he was a good man, and a just : 51 (The fame had not confented to the counsel and deed

49

of them) he was of Arimathea, a city of the Jews, (who alfo himself waited for the kingdom of God.) 52 This man went unto Pilate, and begged the body of 53 Jefus. And he took it down, and wrapped it in

And

linen, and laid it in a fepulchre that was hewn in 54 ftone, wherein never man before was laid. that day was the preparation (4), and the fabbath (1) 55 drew on. And the women alfo which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the 56 fepulchre, and how his body was laid. And they returned, and prepared (m) fpices and ointinents; and

(h) Happy are they who can with juft confidence, after the example of Chrift, at the clofe of life, commend their fpirits into the hands of their heavenly Father! let this then be the great end we all of us aim at.

(i) See Matt. xxvii. 54.

(k) Saturday was the Jewish Sabbath; and the day before, which was Friday, was called the preparation. This is the day, which, on account of the ineftimable benefits refulting from the mournful event of the crucifixion, is called Good Friday.

(1) The fabbath began at fix in the evening; the Jews reckoning the beginning of the day from fun-fet.

(m) Not knowing that Nicodemus had prepared every thing neceffary. John xix. 39.

refted

refted the fabbath-day, according to the command

ment.

CHAP. XXIV.

I NOW upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the fepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and 2 certain others with them. And they found the stone 3 rolled away from the fepulchre. And they entered 4 in, and found not the body of the Lord Jefus. And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men ftood by them in fhining 5 garments. And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they faid unto them, 6 Why feek ye the living among the dead? He is

not here, but is rifen: remember how he spake unto 7 you when he was yet in Galilee, Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of finful men, and be crucified, and the third day rife again. 8 And they remembered his words, And returned 9 from the fepulchre, and told all these things unto the 10 eleven, and to all the reft. I was Mary Magda

lene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told II these things unto the apoftles. And their words. seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them Then arofe Peter, and ran unto the fepulchre, and ftooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themfelves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pafs.

12 not.

13

And behold, two of them (a) went that fame day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerufa14 lem about threefcore furlongs. And they talked to15 gether of all these things which had happened. And

(a) Two of the difciples.

it