which was by them denominated titulus (title). Pilate manifested his sarcastic contempt of the Jews by causing the title upon the cross of Jesus to bear the inscription of "JESUS OF Nazareth, the KING OF THE JEWS," in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. Sorely annoyed at this, the Jews endeavoured to get it altered to "Jesus of Nazareth, who said, I am the King of the Jews:" but the governor seems to have found enjoyment in their mortification, and sent them away with the answer, "What I have written I have written."

Those who were condemned to the cross were crucified naked; and their clothes always became the portion of the soldiers to whom the completion of the punishment was intrusted.

It would appear that our Lord's Crucifixion was performed by four soldiers, and they divided his clothes among them: but finding the outer garment woven of one piece, and consequently without seam, they cast lots for the possession of it, thus unwittingly fulfilling a prophecy of David in one of the Psalms relating to the Messiah (xxii. 19):--"They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots."

Many Jewish women, who had attached themselves to Christ as his disciples, and had followed him from Galilee, were now, in this hour of agony, assembled round the cross of their beloved teacher. Among them were the mother of Jesus, Mary Magdalene, and the sisters of Jesus's mother-Mary the wife of Cleopas, and Salome, the mother of John the Evangelist.

Consideration of this last circumstance, the presence of John's own mother, will give an increased interest to the touching incident which followed. Although suffering under the burden of his own intensest anguish, and borne down with the feeling of the guilt of sinful humanity, the Redeemer had still an affectionate remembrance of those whom he left behind. He

THE APOSTLE JOHN.

perceived the presence of John, the disciple who was honoured with his special attachment, and, referring to his own mother, Mary, he said to him, "Behold thy nother;" which was as much as to say, Be a son to her, even as to thine own mother now present. John understood him, and from that hour made his house the home of the bereaved Mary. From the circumstance that we find John at Jerusalem a long time after the ascension, it would seem that he had a dwelling in that city; and the fact that he alone was personally known to the people connected with the high-priest, affords much corroboration to this conclusion.

CHAPTER XXXII.

MOCKERIES AND INSULTS OF THE JEYS-THE PENITENT THIEF-SIGNS ACCOMPANYING THE DEATH OF JESUS-JEWISH LAW RESPECTING THE BODIES OF CRIMINALS-NICODEMUS

EMBALMS THE BODY OF CHRIST-IT IS LAID IN THE NEW SEPULCHRE OF JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA.

HRIST was now upon the cross, undergoing one of the severest deaths which the cruelty of man ever invented; and surely now the malice of his enemies was satiated? Scarcely so. Even on the cross he was exposed to their insults and mockeries. They that passed by reviled him, wagging

their heads and saying, "Thou that de

stroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross." The chief priests, with the scribes and elders, also repeated the bitter scoff at one who, after having delivered others, proved unable, as they supposed, to deliver himself. "He saved others, himself he cannot save." To all this, and even with regard to the sufferings and death to which they had brought him, Jesus only answered, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."

Christ suffered not alone: two robbers were crucified, one on each side of him. One of these two men, in the bitterness of his sufferings, railed at him, saying, "If thou be the Son of God, save thyself and us." But his companion rebuked him, by reminding him that they were suffering the just penalty of their transgressions,