10 which he was valued, I took, as the Lord* appointed me, from the sons of Israel, who gave them for the potter's field." 11 Lu. 23, 1 Now Jesus appeared before the procurator, who questioned Mar 15, 2 him, saying, Thou art the King of the Jews? He answered, 12 Thou sayest right. But when he was arraigned by the chief 13 priests and the elders, he made no reply. Then Pilate said to him, Hearest thou not of how many crimes they accuse 14 thee? But he answered not one word, which surprised the procurator exceedingly. 15 Lu. 23, 17. Now the procurator was wont to release, at the festival, any Mar. 15, 616 one of the prisoners whom the multitude demanded. And they 50. 13, 39 17 had then a famous prisoner named Barabbas. Therefore, when they were assembled, Pilate said to them, Whom shall I release to you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Messiah ?— 18 (For he perceived that through envy they had delivered him 19 up; besides, while he was sitting on the tribunal, his wife sent him this message, 'Have thou nothing to do with that innocent. person; for to-day I have suffered much, in a dream, on 20 his account.')-But the chief priests and the elders instigated the populace to demand Barabbas, and cause Jesus to be exe21 cuted. Therefore, when the procurator asked which of the 22 two he should release, they all answered, Barabbas. Pilate replied, What then shall I do with Jesus, whom they call 23 Messiah? They all answered, Let him be crucified. The procurator said, Why? what evil hath he done? But they 24 cried the louder, saying, Let him be crucified. Pilate perceiving that he was so far from prevailing that they grew more tumultuous, took water, and washed his hands before the . multitude, saying, I am guiltless of the blood of this innocent 25 person: See ye to it. And all the people answering, said, 26 His blood be upon us, and upon our children. Then he released Barabbas to them, and having caused Jesus to be scourged, delivered him up to be crucified. Acts 3, 14 Ps, 22, 16. 27 After this the procurator's soldiers took Jesus into the pre- Mar. 15, 1628 torium, where they gathered around him all the band. And J. 19, 1 29 having stripped him, they robed him in a scarlet cloak, and crowned him with a wreath of thorns, and put a rod in his 30 right hand, and, kneeling before him in mockery, cried, Hail King of the Jews. And spitting upon him, they took the rod, 31 and struck him with it on the head. When they had mocked him, they disrobed him again, and having put his own raiment on him, led him away to crucify him. Lu. 23, 26. 33. 32 As they went out of the city, they met one Simon a Cyre- Mar. 15. 2133 nian, whom they constrained to carry the cross; and being ar34 rived at a place called Golgotha, which signifies a place of Jo. 19, 17skulls, they gave him to drink vinegar mixed with wormwood, 35 which, having tasted it, he would not drink. After they had + The governor's palace, or hall of audience. * Jehovah. Ps. 22, 18. Mar. 15. 29⚫ Lu. 23, 35 Jo. 2. 19. Ps. 22, 8. Wis. 2. 16 nailed him to the cross, they parted his garments by lot: [thus verifying the words of the Prophet, "They shared my mantle 36 among them, and cast lots for my vesture."] And having sat 37 down there, they guarded him. And over his head they placed this inscription, denoting the cause of his death. THIS IS 38 JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS. Two robbers also were crucified with him, one at his right hand, and the other at his left. 39 Meanwhile the passengers reviled him, shaking their heads, 40 and saying, Thou who demolishest the temple, and rebuildest it in three days; if thou be God's Son, come down from the 41 cross. The chief priests also, with the Scribes, the elders, and the Pharisees, deriding him, said, He saved others; cannot 42 he save himself? If he be king of Israel, let him now descend from the cross, and we will believe him. He trusted in God: 43 Let God deliver him now, if he regard him; for he called 44 himself God's Son. The robbers, too, his fellow-sufferers, upbraided him in the same manner. Mar. 15, 33 45 Lu. 23. 44 Now from the sixth* hour to the ninth,† the whole land was 46 in darkness. About the ninth† hour Jesus cried aloud, saying, Eli, eli, lama sabachthani! that is, " My God, my God, 47 why hast thou forsaken me?" Some of the bystanders, hear48 ing this, said, He calleth Elijah. Instantly one of them ran, 51 fetched a sponge, and soaked it in vinegar, and having fastened 49 it to a stick, presented it to him to drink. The rest said, Forbear, we shall see whether Elijah will come to save him. 50 Jesus having again cried with a loud voice, resigned his spirit. And behold the veil of the temple was rent in two from top Lu. 23, 45. 52 to bottom, the earth trembled, and the rocks split. Graves also burst open, and after his resurrection, the bodies of several 53 saints who slept were raised, came out of the graves, went into 54 the holy city, and were seen by many. Now the centurion, Mar. 15, 38. Mar. 15, 40. 55 Jo. 19, 38. and they who with him guarded Jesus, observing the earthquake, and what passed, were exceedingly terrified, and said, This was certainly the Son of a God. Several women also were there, looking on at a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, assisting him with their 56 service. Among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's sons. SECTION XVI. THE RESURRECTION. Mar. 15, 42. 57 IN the evening, a rich Arimathean named Joseph, who was Lu. 23, 50. 58 himself a disciple of Jesus, went to Pilate and begged the body of Jesus. Pilate having given orders to deliver it to 59 Joseph; he took the body, wrapped it in clean linen, and de60 posited it in his own monument, which he had newly caused to + Three, afternoon. * Twelve o'clock, noon. be hewn in the rock; and having rolled a great stone to the 61 entrance, he went away. Now Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting over against the sepulchre. 62 On the morrow, being the day after the preparation,* the chief priests and the Pharisees repaired in a body to Pilate, 63 and said, My Lord, we remember that this impostor when 64 alive, said, "Within three days I shall be raised." Command, therefore, that the sepulchre be guarded for three days, lest his disciples come by night and steal him, and say to the people,' He is raised from the dead;' for this last im65 posture would prove worse than the first. Pilate answered, Ye have a guard, make the sepulchre as secure as ye can. 66 Accordingly they went and secured it, sealing the stone, and posting the guards. XXVIII. SABBATH + being over, and the first day ‡ of the Mar. 16, 1o week beginning to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary 2 went to visit the sepulchre. Now there had been a great earthquake; for a messenger of the Lord had descended from heaven, who, having rolled the stone from the entrance, sat upon 3 it. His countenance was like lightning, and his apparel white 4 as snow. Seeing him, the guards quaked with terror, and 5 became as dead men. But the angel said to the women, Fear not ye; for I know that ye seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here; for he is risen, as he foretold. Come see the 7 place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, say to his disciples, He is risen from the dead; behold he goeth before you to Galilee, where ye shall see him.' Take notice: I have told you. 8 Instantly they went out from the monument with fear and 9 great joy, and ran to inform his disciples. When they were gone, Jesus himself met them, saying, Rejoice. Upon which they prostrated themselves before him, and embraced his feet. 10 Then Jesus said to them, Be not afraid: go, tell my brethren to repair to Galilee, and there they shall see me. 11 They were no sooner gone than some of the guard went into the city, and informed the chief priests of all that had happened. 12 These, after meeting and consulting with the elders, gave a 13 large sum to the soldiers, with this injunction, Say, 'His dis ciples came by night and stole him while we were asleep.' 14 And, if this come to the procurator's ears, we will appease 15 him and indemnify you. So they took the money, and acted agreeably to their instructions. Accordingly this report is current among the Jews to this day. 16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain 17 whither Jesus had appointed them to repair. When they saw him, they threw themselves prostrate before him; yet some 18 doubted. Jesus came near, and said to them, All authority is *The Preparation is our Friday. With us Sunday. + With us Saturday. Jo. 20, 1. Mar. 16, 15. 19 given to me in heaven and upon the earth; go, therefore, convert all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the 20 Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all the things which I have commanded you: and, behold! I am with you always, even to the conclusion of this state. Amen. END OF VOLUME FIRST. J. Haddon, Printer, Castle Street, Finsbury. |