of Pilate in a

When Pilate therefore heard that Place. saying, he brought Jesus forth, and The tribunal sat down in the judgment-seat in a place called place that is called the Pavement, the Pavebut in the Hebrew, Gabbatha". And ment. it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King! But they cried out, Away with him, away with him; crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Cesar.

d

When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. Then answered all the people and said, His blood be on us, and on our children. Then released he unto them, him that for sedition and murder was cast into prison, whom they had desired; but he delivered Jesus to their will. And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him.

* Gabbatha means an eminence, or elevated place.

The day before the sabbath in the passover week. • Six o'clock in the morning. St. John computed agreeably to the mode of reckoning time adopted by the people of Asia. • He spoke this with a view to move their compassion, and induce them to relent.

• This was a custom both among the Jews and Romans, when they wished to clear themselves of the guilt of having put to death an innocent man. Deut. xxi. 6. Psalm xxvi. 6.

f A most fatal imprecation, and most dreadfully fulfilled upon them at the siege and destruction of Jerusalem.

S

1

137. Judas repents, and destroys himself.

Jerusalem.

b

THEN Judas, which had betrayed Place. him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself. And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood. And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in. Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value; and gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord appointed me.

a Such is the astonishing inconsistence of human nature, that the very men who had no scruple in shedding innocent blood, should yet be afraid to put into the treasury the money which they had given as the price of blood!

See Acts i. 18.

This prophecy is not found in Jeremiah, but in the eleventh chapter of Zechariah. The mistake of putting one name for the other, was owing perhaps, to the carelessness of transcribers.

138. Christ is led away to be crucified.

AND as they led him away, they Place.

Cyre-Between the

judgment

vary.

laid hold upon one Simon, a nian, who passed by, coming out of hall and the country, the father of Alexander Mount Caland Rufus, and on him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus. And there followed him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him. But Jesus turning unto them said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for

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me, but weep for yourselves and for your "children. For, behold, the days are coming, " in the which they shall say, Blessed are the " barren, and the wombs that never bare, and "the paps which never gave suck. Then shall " they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on "us; and to the hills, Cover us. For if they " do these things in a green tree, what shall " be done in the dry?" And there were also two other malefactors led with him to be put to death. And when they were come unto a

* Afterwards two celebrated Christians. Acts xix. 33. Rom. xvi. 13.

► It was usual for criminals to bear their own cross; but when they were feeble, as the blessed Jesus might well be after all his bitter sufferings, they compelled Simon, probably a favourer of Jesus, to take up the hinder part of it, and carry it along with him.

• A Jewish proverb, meaning, if an innocent person thus suffer, what will become of the guilty? Ezek. xx. 47. xxi. 3, 4.

1

Place.
Mount

place called Golgotha, that is to say, A place of a skull, they gave Calvary. him vinegar to drink mingled with gall :a and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink.

139. What happened while Jesus was on the cross, till he expired.

C

AND the soldiers crucified him, and took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout. 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. And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS. 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. 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. Pilate answered, What I have

a A kind of stupifying potion, intended to abate the sense of pain and hasten death, and placed near the cross for that purpose.

The vestment here called the coat was worn next the body; the rest of his clothes are called garments. Psalm xvii. 18.

written, I have written. And it was the third hour, and they crucified him. And with him they crucify two thieves; the one on his right hand, and the other on his left. And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors. Then said Jesus, "Father, forgive them; for they "know not what they do." And they parted his raiment, and cast lots. And the people stood beholding. And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads, and saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross. Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the Scribes and Elders, said, He saved others, himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. He trusted in God; let him deliver him now if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God. And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar. And saying, If thou be the King of the Jews, save thyself. And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? and we