they also crucified with him the two malefactors, or robbers, that were mentioned before, the one on his right-hand, and the other on his left; and they placed Jesus in the midst as a mark of the greatest indignity, to prejudice the multitude the more against him-and to induce them to regard him as the most infamous criminal of the three. And thus the Scriptures were fulfilled. (Isa. liii. 12.) And He was numbered with the transgressors. And Jesus made no manner of resistance to this cruel violence, nor did He revile them even when they were distorting his limbs as on a rack, and nailing his hands and his feet on the full stretch to the accursed tree; but in the midst of his anguish He breathed out his soul in a compassionate prayer for his murderers; and pleading the only excuse which the most extensive charity could suggest, He said, Father forgive them, for they know not what they are doing." Thus was evil gloriously overcome by good; thus was full perfection gloriously demonstrated by the Lamb without blemish, and without spot.

"Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, which according to custom they had stripped off, that the shame of suffering naked might be added to all the agony of the cross; and as it was usual for the executioners to have the garments of the criminal whom they put to death, they made four parts of his clothes, assigning to each soldier of the quaternion employed on that occasion a part, and casting lots upon them which of the four each man should take. And they took also the vest or

inner garment now the vest had this curious circumstance attending it, that it was without any seam at all, being woven from the top throughout in one whole piece ;* and as this was considered by them as more valuable than ordinary, they said therefore one to another, Let us not spoil this coat, as we must do if we go about to tear it into four parts, but let us cast lots for it, whose the whole of it shall be. And accordingly they did so, that the Scripture spoken by the prophet David in the person of the Messiah might thus be literally fulfilled, which saith, (Psal. xxii. 18,) They divided my garments among them, and cast lots for my vesture. These things therefore the soldiers did, though

*" (Woven from the top throughout in one whole piece.) Perhaps this curious garment might be the work and present of some of the pious women who attended him, and ministered to him of their substance. (Luke viii. 3.) The hint here given of its make has set some mechanical heads to work to contrive a frame for weaving such a vest; and a good cut of it may be seen in Calmet's Dictionary, on the word vestments. (Vol. iii. page 19.)

* " (They divided my garments among them, &c.) We are no where told that David's goods were thus divided, and there are several other passages in the 22nd Psalm, particularly that in which mention is made of piercing his hands and his feet, to which no circumstance of David's personal sufferings seems to have borne any resemblance. It therefore seems to me exceeding probable, that in this scripture and some others, the mind of the prophet was thrown into a preternatural ecstacy, in which, on some secret intimation given to him that he therein personated the Messiah, he wrote expressly what the Spirit dictated, without any particular regard to himself; so that David might, for any thing I can find, with equal propriety have written such a Psalm, if his whole life had been as prosperous and peaceable as the reign of Solomon his son. (Compare 1 Pet. i. 10-12)"

VOL. III.

F

with the utmost freedom as to themselves, yet exactly as the omniscience of God foreknew and foretold they would do. And having done thus, they sat down near the cross, and guarded him and the other two who were crucified with him, that none might come there to rescue them before they were quite dead.* And as the usual method was in cases of crucifixion, they put upon the cross over his head, a superscription, in capital letters,† containing the substance of his pretended crime, written in these remarkable words, This is Jesus of Nazareth, the king of the Jews. And indeed it was Pilate who wrote this title, and ordered them to put it on the cross-which, howsoever it was designed as a reproach to Jesus, was in effect a declaration of his real character; and by the secret providence of God was overruled in a remarkable and public manner to proclaim the kingdom of Christ, while it was only meant to expose and ridicule his title to it. Many of the Jews, therefore, who came up to the feast of the passover, read this inscription; because the

(That none might come to rescue them, &c.) This was the more necessary in this kind of execution, because the wounds given in crucifixion were not generally mortal; the person crucified died partly by the loss of blood, if any large vessel was pierced by the nails, when nails (as here) were used, but chiefly by the violent distortion of the limbs, which were stretched forth as on a rack; a circumstance which must no doubt occasion exquisite anguish.”

+ "(They put over his head a superscription.) This Bishop Pearson (on the Creed, p. 205,) and Dr. Lardner, (Credibility, part i. book i. ch. 7, s. 10, vol. i. p. 347,) have abundantly proved to be usual, in cases of any extraordinary punishment."

place where Jesus was crucified was near to the city, and lay but just without the gates: and that the inscription might be generally understood, it was expressed, by Pilate's order, in three languages, and written both in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin letters; so that it might easily be read by Jews, Romans, and most other foreigners.*

"Now, when this inscription was drawn up, the chief priests of the Jews were very much offended at the form in which it was expressed, and therefore objected against it, and said to Pilate, Do not write, The king of the Jews; for we entirely disown him under that character, as thou well knowest; but rather write that he said, I am the king of the Jews. But Pilate, who was very much displeased at the importunity by which, contrary to his inclination and judgment, they had extorted from him the sentence of death he had passed upon Jesus, answered with some warmth, What I have written I have writtenand whoever may object against it, I am determined it shall stand as it is.

"When therefore they were unable to procure any alteration, they were determined publicly to turn it into a jest ; and therefore some of them went in person to Calvary, to insult and scoff at Jesus,

* 66 (In Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin letters.) It was written in Latin for the majesty of the Roman empire; in Greek for the information of the vast numbers of Hellenists who made use of that language, as indeed most provinces of the Roman empire did; (See Brerewood's Inquiries, chap. i. iv.) and in Hebrew, as it was the vulgar language of the place. Thus the inscription set up in the temple to prohibit strangers from coming within those. sacred limits, was written in all these three languages."

even in his last moments. And the common people, that stood beholding the execution, reviled him; and even they that passed by on the road, blasphemed him, shaking their heads at him, in an upbraiding scornful manner, and saying, Ah, thou vain boaster, that wouldst destroy the temple, and build it again in three days! let us now see if thou canst save thyself; and if thou art indeed the Son of God, give us a proof of thy power now, and come down from the cross; for in thy present circumstances that will be the most proper miracle thou canst work, in confirmation of thy pretended mission. And in like manner also the chief priests, together with the scribes and elders, and the rulers also themselves, the malice of whose hearts had made them forget the dignity of their characters, and to attend among the mob upon this base and barbarous occasion, joined with them in their scoffs, and with a scornful sneer derided him; and mocking, said one to another, Ay, this is he that saved others, and undertook to give them perfect deliverance, and everlasting happiness; but now you see he cannot save himself from the most infamous execution. If he be really the true Messiah, the elect of God; and in consequence of that divine choice, be the king of Israel, as he has so often pretended, let him now come down from the cross, and save himself from death, that we may see a demonstration of his saving power, and we will then believe him.*

*" (He saved others, &c.) Nothing could be baser than thus to upbraid him with this saving power, which was not a vain pretence, but had produced so many noble and stupendous