counfel, and bought with them the potter's field, to 8 bury ftrangers in. Wherefore that field was called, 9 The field of blood unto this day. (Then was fulfilled that which was fpoken by (d) Jeremy the prophet, faying, And they took the thirty pieces of filver, the price of him that was valued, whom 10 they of the children of Ifrael did value: And gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord appointII ed me.) And Jefus ftood before the governor; and the governor afked him, faying, Art thou the king of the Jews? And Je'us faid unto him, Thou 12 fayeft (e). And when he was accufed of the chief 13 priests and elders, he answered nothing. Then

faith Pilate unto him, Heareft thou not how many 14 things they witness against thee? And he answered him to never a word (f), infomuch that the governor 15 marvelled greatly. Now at that feast the governor

was wont to releafe unto the people a prifoner, 16 whom they would. And they had then a notable 17 prifoner, called Barabbas. Therefore when they

were gathered together, Pilate faid unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, 18 or Jefus, which is called Chrift? For he knew that for envy they had delivered him.

19

When he was fet down on the judgment-feat, his wife fent unto him, faying, Have thou nothing to do with that juft man: for I have fuffered many things this day in a dream, because of But the chief priests and elders perfuaded the multitude, that they should ask Barabbas, and

20 him.

(d) This paffage is now found in Zechariah; but many learned men are of opinion, that the three laft chapters of Zechariah were written by the prophet Jeremiah, and anciently made part of his prophecy.

(e) Thou fayeft is an affent to what is faid. Chap. xxvi. 25, 64. Thus was fulfilled the prophecy, that the Meffiah should be brought as a lamb to the flaughter, and as a fheep before her fhearers is dumb, so should he not open his mouth. Ifaiah liii. 7.

21 deftroy Jefus. The governor anfwered and faid unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I 22 release unto you? They faid, Barabbas. Pilate faith, unto them, What fhall I do then with Jefus, which is called Chrift? They all fay unto him, Let him 23 be crucified. And the governor faid, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, faying, Let him be crucified.

24

When Pilate faw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, faying, I am innocent of the blood of this juft perfon: fee 25 ye to it. Then anfwered all the people, and faid, His blood be on us, and on our children (g).

26

Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had fcourged Jefus, he delivered him to be cru-. 27 cified. Then the foldiers of the governor took Jefus into the common hall, and gathered unto him 28 the whole band of foldiers. And they ftripped him and put on him a fcarlet (b) robe.

29 And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand and they bowed the knee before him, and 30 mocked him, faying, Hail King of the Jews. And they fpit upon him, and took the reed, and fmote 31 him on the head. 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 cru32 cify him. And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his (i) cross.

33 And

(g) Unhappy people! Their improcation is remarkably fulfilled in their whole race to this day.

(h) Dreffing him up as a mock king, to make fport with him. (i) Jefus carried his cross through the city; but being exhausted by his agony in the garden, and afterwards by being harraffed and dragged about the whole night, befides the lofs of blood and fcourg

F 2

ing

33 And when they were come into a place called Golgotha, that is to fay, a place of a skull, 34 They gave him vinegar to drink, mingled with

gall (k) and when he had tafted thereof, he would 35 not drink. And they crucified him, and parted his garments, cafting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vefture 36 did they caft lots (1). And fitting down they watch37 ed him there: And fet up over his head his accu

fation written, THIS IS JESUS THE 38 KING OF THE JEWS. Then were there two thieves crucified with him: one on the right hand, and another on the left.

39 And they that paffed by, reviled him, wagging 40 their heads, And faying, Thou that deftroyeft the temple, and buildeft it in three days (m), fave thyfelf if thou be the Son of God, come down 41 from the crofs. Likewise alfo the chief priests

mocking him, with the fcribes and elders, faid, 42 He faved others, himself he cannot fave: if he be the

king of Ifrael, let him now come down from the 43 cross, and we will believe him. He trufted in God;

ing, he was faint and unable to bear the weight; they therefore compelled Simon to take up the hinder part of it, and carry it along with him. Luke xxiii. 26. John xix. 17.

(k) This was done by the foldiers to infult and torment him; and the wine mingled with myrrh was probably offered by his friends, Mark xv. 23. that mixture, being of a ftupifying quality, was ufually given to affuage the pain of the perfon crucified, and therefore al ways placed near the crofs on fuch an occafion.

(1) This veflure, or inner garment, was curioufly knit, without a feam, and therefore they would not divide it.

(m) Our Saviour meant not the material fabrick of the temple, (John ii. 21.) but the frame of his bodily conftitution; which, though they might deftroy it by putting him to death, would neverthelefs be reftored to life again in three days. But as he used a figurative expreffion, the Jews made this malicious and perverfe applica tion of it in the literal fenfe.

let

let him deliver him now, if he will have him for 44 he faid, I am the Son of God. The thieves alfo

which were crucified with him, caft the fame in his 45 teeth (). Now from the fixth hour there was dark46 ness over all the land unto the ninth hour (o). And about the ninth hour Jefus cried with a loud voice, faying, Eli, Eli, lama fabachthani? that is to fay, My God, my God, why haft thou forfaken me (p)? 47 Some of them that ftood there, when they heard that, faid, This man calleth for Elias. And ftraightway one of them ran, and took a fpunge, and filled it with (q) vinegar, and put it on a reed, and 49 gave him to drink. The reft faid, Let be, let us fee whether Elias will come to fave him.

50 Jefus, when he had cried again with a loud 51 voice (r), yielded up the ghoft. And behold, the vail

of the temple was rent in twain, from the top to the bottom (s); and the earth did quake, and the 52 rocks rent, And the graves were opened, and many 53 bodies of (t) faints which flept, arofe, And came

out of the grave after his refurrection, and went into 54 the holy city (u), and appeared unto many. Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jefus, faw the earthquake, and those

(n) Both at firft; but afterwards one of them was converted. Luke xxiii. 40.

(0) A miraculous darkness from noon to three o'clock.

(p) See Mark xv. 34.

(4) Vinegar had been for many ages the common drink of the lower people in the Eaft, (Ruth ii. 14.) and as it was at that time the drink of the Roman foldiers, a veffel of it was placed near at hand for their use.

(r) He faid aloud in the hearing of the people, Father, into thy hands I commend my Spirit. Luke xxiii. 46.

(s) The vail was a kind of curtain that feparated the fanctuary from the temple.

(t) Saints was then a general name for Christians, Acts ix. 13, 3o. being fanctified in Chrift Jefus, Cor. i. 2. and living holy lives. (u) Jerufalem is called the Holy City.

things that were done, they feared greatly, faying, 55 Truly (w) this was the Son of God. And many women were there (beholding afar off) which followed Jefus from Galilee, miniftering unto him. 56 Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Jofes, and the (x) mother 57 of Zebedee's children. When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathea, named Jofeph, 58 who also himself was Jefus' difciple: He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jefus (y): then 59 Pilate commanded the body to be delivered.

And

when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in bo a clean linen cloth, And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the fepulchre, and 61 departed. And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, fitting over against the fepulchre.

62

Now the next day that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priefts and Pharifees came 63 together unto Pilate, Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver faid, while he was yet alive, After 64 three days I will rife again. Command therefore that the fepulchre be made fure until the third day, left his difciples come by night, and steal him away, and fay unto the people, He is risen from the dead: 65 fo the lait error shall be worse than the first (z). Pilate

faid unto them, Ye have a watch, go your way, 66 make it as fure as you can. So they went and made

(w) The first reflection that occurs to the centurion is, that Jefus was innocent of what he fuffered for, Luke xxiii, 47. but afterwards. confidering more attentively the earthquake and other extraordinary events which followed the crucifixion, he pronouneeth him to be a divine perfon.

(x) The name of the mother of Zebedee's children was Salome. Mark xv. 40.

(y) See Mark xv. 43..

(z) If the people believe this, his party will be fronger than be fore.

the