times, even to persons who were most respected, he said, Woman, behold thy son, meaning his beloved disciple John: and then to this disciple himself he added, Behold thy mother; for I recommend her, as such, with my dying breath, to thy particular care; and from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home, treated her with the tenderness and respect due to a mother, and maintained her as cheerfully and affectionately, as if she had really been so*.

The sixth hour of the day, that is noon, was nearly arrived; at which time a sudden darkness overspread the sun, and threw an awful gloom upon the whole transaction, which continued till the ninth hour, that is, about three o'clock in the afternoon. That was the awful hour, in which JESUS, who had now hung six hours on the cross, patiently enduring his bitter. sufferings--that was the awful hour, when in unutterable bitterness of his soul, he cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabacthani: My GOD, my GOD, why hast thou forsaken me. Some of them who stood by, pretending to mistake his words, began to deride him again, saying, This man calleth for Elias; and

* Soe Doddridge's Family Expositor.

while one ran to reach a sponge full of vinegar, at the end of a reed, to his mouth, when in completion of the scripture he had just said, I thirst; another in a contemptuous manner checked him, saying, Let him alone; let us see whether Elias will come to save him. JESUS then having received the vinegar, said, It is finished the prophecies are now fulfilled, as far as belong to my life*: then crying out again with a loud voice, and bowing his head, as in a gesture of adoration and prayer, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit, and instantly expired.

How awful--how tremendous--how miraculous was the scene which immediately followed this great event. The sun remained darkened-the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom-the earth did quake-and the rocks rent. And the graves were opened, and many bodies of the saints which slept, arose, and came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. Nor among other testimonies of the awful grandeur of this great event, should that of the Roman centurion, who attended the

* Hammond.

execution, be omitted. This officer seeing the many solemn and supernatural circumstances, which accompanied the death of JESUS, could not help crying out, Certainly this was a righteous man: or, as the other evangelists express it, Truly this man was the Son of God. Even those soldiers who were with him, watching JESUS, and seeing the things which were done, were seized with great fear, and joined in the centurion's exclamation: And all the people, whom so uncommon an execution had drawn together, some of whom perhaps had joined in the cry of Crucify him, crucify him, beating their breasts for sorrow of heart and remorse of conscience, retired from the dismal and melancholy scene: while all his acquaintance, And several women, who with pious care had followed him from Galilee unto Jerusalem, and ministered unto him, stood at a distance, and in silent sorrow witnessed the torments and death of their beloved and lamented LORD.

Now was the preparation for the sabbath, and as the law forbad, that any bodies should remain on the cross on the sabbath-day, (and that sabbath too was a day of more than ordinary solemnity, because it was in the week in which the

passover was celebrated,) the Jews who did not suppose that either of those who were crucified, was so soon dead; scrupulous about suffering a dead body to hang on the cross on the sabbath, although making no conscience about bringing an excellent and innocent person to suffer on it, besought Pilate that the legs of the sufferers might be broken, in order to dispatch them the more effectually, if there should be any remains of life in them, and that their bodies might be taken away. The soldiers, therefore, according to appointment, went to take them down, and broke the legs of the two malefactors who were executed with JESUS: But when they came to JESUS, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs; shewing thereby that JESUS was the true Paschal Lamb, of which a bone was not to be broken. Few people are so inhuman, or carry their malice so far, as to show resentment against the bodies of those whom they have deprived of life; but one of these soldiers, wantonly with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came thereout blood and water, thereby proving to a certainty, that JESUS was actually dead.

* Henry.

Nor was this a fable, for John saw it, and bare record, and knew it to be true, and published it, that men might believe that JESUS was he, in whom all the legal types and figures had their completion. Nor did any of these things happen but to fulfil the scriptures, for it was God's law about the passover, concerning the Paschal Lamb, which was a type of CHRIST, that not a bone of it should be broken : So by no bone of CHRIST's body being broken, they might have understood, that he was figured out by the Paschal Lamb. So also by seeing CHRIST's side pierced, they might have understood, that he was the person of whom the prophet Zechariah spoke, when he said, They shall look on him whom they pierced*.

We have now, my Brethren, followed our blessed Saviour through the various scenes and occurrences in this Great and Holy Week, from his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, amidst the Hosannas of a rejoicing multitude, to an ignominious death on the cross, amidst the unhallowed revilings of malicious persecutors.We have seen him described as a King, having salvation, by one prophet; by another, as having no form nor comeli

* Poole.

P