captain-The zeal and alacrity of Lysias-The desire of distinction a doubtful way of ensuring these qualities- False notions instilled into the young-Peace has its claims upon a soldier as much as war- -The courtesy of Lysias-The army sometimes stigmatized as hardening the heart-The discretion of Lysias-The value of dis- cretion—What it is, and how to be acquired-The hu- Appointed to take charge of the Apostle Paul from Cæsarea to Rome-The party embark, and sail-Julius courteously entreats Paul-The power of an officer at sea-Prisons of war-Violent tempest-Paul encour- ages the crew, and passengers-Arrival off an unknown coast-Paul interferes to prevent the sailors from es- caping-Manly behaviour of Julius-His appreciation and care of the Apostle-They are cast upon the island of Malta-Discipline of the party-Julius greatly in- debted to Paul-In what respect he may be proposed as an example-The faith of Julius-His resolution and generosity-Study of the bible again recommended to military men-All are in the eyes of heaven centu- Universal application of sacred history-Capernaum the residence of this centurion-Sickness of his servant- Arrival of Jesus-The centurion determines to apply to him-Retrospective view of the centurion's life- State of Capernaum-The centurion a man of property -Danger of riches-His liberal piety-Application to modern colonies-The centurion sends the elders to Jesus to intercede for him-His humility-Our Lord's behaviour-The centurion's exalted ideas of him-His preparations to receive him-His faith-Importance and nature of faith-The encomium passed upon the centurion by our Lord-The promise-Comparison of Peter goes to the housetop to pray-His trance-Tes- Page 188 SCRIPTURE PORTRAITS: &c. &c. CHAPTER I. THE CENTURION AT OUR LORD'S CRUCIFIXION. MATT. XXVii. 54. MARK XV. 39. LUKE xxiii. 47. The rank of a centurion-The centurion's conduct previous to the arrival at Calvary-The cross laid upon Simon-The fitness of the centurion to judge of the character of Jesus-His anxiety during the crucifixion-His teachableness-The marvels of the crucifixion-His conviction of the divinity of Christ-Consequences of his faith to Christianity-To himself—And to the world-Claims of the Bible upon military men. THE first centurion, to whom we are introduced subsequently to the one, whose servant was sick at Capernaum, is the officer that commanded the guard at our Lord's crucifixion. A centurion was not always, as his name B would seem to imply, the captain over one hundred soldiers, because the strength, both of the legion and of the company, frequently varied. However, under the emperors the former generally consisted of about six thousand men. These seem to have been divided into ten cohorts under the command of so many tribunes; the cohort into three maniples, and the maniple into two companies. Each company had its own centurion; and the maniple was commanded by the senior of the two; so that the rank of a centurion appears in this respect to have borne some resemblance to that of a modern captain of cavalry: two of whom belonging to the same squadron, but each having charge of his own troop, yet in the field, and on duty, one is subordinate to the other. According to the rules of the service the centurions were selected not so much from the most enterprising, as from the steadiest, and most intelligent soldiers: but this regulation was easily transgressed; and other recommendations, besides those of military experience, 1 Polybius vi. 4. |