ing to them; but like true men of this world, they were for anything rather than Christ, and his heavenly doctrine, and kingdom.

16. Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him away.

Let us not mistake the men. We, and our sins, led him away.

17. And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha :

This was the common place of execution, noisome and filthy with skulls, and dead men's bones; that no circumstances might be wanting to complete his humiliation. Observe too, it is said, he went; as if all were his own doing. If it had not been his will to go, their compulsion would have availed nothing.

18. Where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst.

This was a true picture of his mediation for sinners. Those arms, as they were stretched out for all, so they pointed to all in the persons of the two thieves. All mankind were upon the cross both in him and them. Let us know our need of mercy, and be content to be saved by it.

19. And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZAREth the King of the Jews.

Blessed God, write it in all our hearts, that this despised, crucified Jesus, is our King; and make us his people, by the true circumcision of the Spirit.

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.

He had written the truth, without knowing it, by influence from above, and he was not suffered to alter it.

23. Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout.

24. They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did.

Every tittle of the scripture will be fulfilled both as it regards its promises and threatenings, and we have no choice, but of one or the other.

25. Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary, the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.

26. When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!

Let us observe here the care of the blessed Jesus, in his last moments, for his mother. It was some relief against the sword now in her own heart, to provide her another son, the person he most loved; and he showed his love effectually to John, by bequeathing him such a legacy.

27. Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.

St. John's heart explained Christ's will to him, in these words, "Behold thy mother!" The home that John provided for her was the more welcome to her, as it would be a house of spiritual comfort to her.

SECTION LXXVI.

Chap. xix. ver. 28-42.

CHRIST GIVES UP THE GHOST.

28. After this Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.

Let us observe, that Jesus saith this, not to have his thirst quenched, but that the scripture might be fulfilled.

29. Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar :* and they filled a spunge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth.

30. When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

All scripture concerning Christ was fulfilled, and nothing left undone that he came into the world to accomplish. God was reconciled unto man, and the gates of paradise set wide open for all that would enter into them. Shall we suffer this precious word to be spoken in vain to us?

"And he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost." He did this, of his own accord, and by an act of his Almighty power. He had no farther use for mortal breath, when he had done his work in our mortal body.

31. The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.

32. Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him.

33. But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs;

34. But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came thereout blood and water.

This was significant of our atonement and cleansing by him. Justification, and sanctification; and not one without the other. In this blood and water we may see the whole gospel. St. John intended that a great stress should be laid upon what he saw, as appears by the next verse. The miracle of blood and water flowing freely, and unmixed, from a corpse, was great; and the use, and spiritual understanding of it, is great also.

* This was a mixture of vinegar and myrrh, to stupify the senses of those who were executed. This might be some charity to their bodies, but none to their souls. The penitent thief might have lost heaven by it.

35. And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe.

36. For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken.

37. And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced.

Let us notice this again. The scripture is God's word, and will infallibly be made good in everything it says, either in our salvation, or damnation. Under this conviction we shall read it with advantage. "They shall look on him whom they have pierced." If it be God's blessed will for us, we must willingly, attentively, and constantly, with penitence, faith, and love, look on him now, thinking ourselves the very persons who pierced him, and for whom he was contented to be pierced, that we may not be forced to look on him another day, to our everlasting confusion.

38. And after this Joseph of Arimathæa, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus.

Joseph now declared himself openly, at a time when it might least have been expected, and when others hid themselves.

39. And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight.

40. Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.

41. Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid.

42. There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews' preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand.

The day was far spent ; and as the time was short, they must either have buried him in a place nigh at hand, or not at all.

Joseph and Nicodemus showed their affectionate love to the blessed Jesus, by their care of his burial and the great

cost they bestowed upon it; probably, not knowing the scriptures concerning the resurrection, any more than the disciples. Their hearts were known to God under the mistake; and as they were prepared by their simplicity and sincerity to have their eyes opened, they will doubtless have a share in the resurrection of the just.

SECTION LXXVII.

Chap. xx. ver. 1—18

THE DISCIPLES COME TO THE SEPULCHRE.

1. The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.

The order of the narrative concerning the resurrection of Jesus, as it lies in the Evangelists, seems to be this: Mary Magdalene, and other women, were early at the sepulchre, they found the stone rolled away, and the body gone, they saw two angels; one of whom told them that Jesus was risen, and bid them go and tell his disciples. They went, upon which Peter and John ran to the sepulchre, and having seen what was done, departed.

Mary and the other women staid behind at the sepulchre, when they first saw Jesus himself, and Mary in particular was charged with the message to his disciples, verse seventeenth, and different from that given by the angels.

The only difficulty in the way of this account, arises from Matt. xxviii. 9: where it is said, "As they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail.” This implies, that he met them as they were going to the disciples, and before they had spoken with them. The words therefore must not be so understood; but, that having been, or, after they had been, to tell his disciples, then "Jesus met them, &c."