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THE LIFE OF CHRIST.

humbly beseech thee, O heavenly Father,
so to assist us with thy grace, that we may
ever walk worthy of our profession of faith in
his name, in all such good works as thou hast
commanded, through Jesus Christ our Lord;
to whom with Thee and the Holy Ghost, be
all honour and glory, world without .end.
Amen.

Questions on Section XXVI.

265

What proposal did Pilate make to the Jews respecting the release of Christ?

By what external act did Pilate indicate his consciousness of the innocence of Christ, although he sentenced Him to be crucified according to the will of the Jews? In what manner did they then mock and insult Him anew? What did Pilate hear, after this, that made him the more afraid respecting Jesus?

What was the threat the Jews used to prevent Pilate from releasing Jesus?

What was the remarkable reply of Jesus to the women who wept and bewailed Him?

What prophecy did the crucifying of Jesus along with others, who were malefactors, fulfil?

In what languages was the title written which Pilate caused to be fastened to Christ's cross?

What did the soldiers do with the garments of Christ, and what prophecy did they thereby unconsciously fulfil? In what terms did the rulers and the soldiers mock Christ when hanging upon the cross; what was the conduct of the passengers, and what did the priests and scribes and elders say?

What did the two thieves do first, and how did one of them change?

Why does our Lord's acceptance of the penitent thief afford

no countenance to the delusion of sinning on, trusting to that snare of the enemy called a death-bed repentance? To whose care did Christ, when dying, commend His mother?

SECTION XXVII.

From the Death of Christ upon the Cross, to His Resurrection, and the false Report of the Jews.

PRAYER.

We beseech thee, O Lord, pour thy grace into our hearts; that as we have known the incarnation of thy Son Jesus Christ by the message of an angel; so by his cross and passion we may be brought unto the glory of his resurrection, through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

AND when the sixth hour was come, there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. And the sun was darkened. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani ? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calleth Elias. After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: And straightway one of them ran, and took a sponge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it on a reed, and put it to his mouth, and gave him to drink. The rest said, Let be; let us see whether Elias will come to save him. When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished : and when he had cried again with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he bowed his

WHAT FOLLOWED THE CRUCIFIXION.

267

head, and gave up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain, in the midst, from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; and the graves were opened. Now when the centurion which stood over against him, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, and saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God; and he glorified God, saying, Certainly, this was a righteous man. And all the people that came together to that sight, beholding the things which were done, smote their breasts, and returned: and all his acquaintance, and the women that followed him from Galilee, stood afar off, beholding these things; among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome, the mother of Zebedee's children, who also, when he was in Galilee, followed him, and ministered unto him; and many other women, which came up with him unto Jerusalem. The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath-day, (for that sabbathday was a high-day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him. when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs: But one of the soldiers, with a spear, pierced his side, and forthwith came thereout blood and water. And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe. For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled,

But

A bone of him shall not be broken.

And again, another Scripture saith,

They shall look on him whom they pierced.

And after this, when now the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath, there came a rich man of Arimathæa, a city of the Jews, named Joseph, an honourable counsellor ; and he was a good man, and a just; who also himself waited for the kingdom of God; being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews, (the same had not consented to the counsel and deed of them ;) This man came, and went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus; and besought Pilate, that he might take away the body: And Pilate marvelled if he were already dead: and calling unto him the centurion, he asked him whether he had been any while dead? And when he knew it of the centurion, Pilate gave him leave; and commanded the body to be delivered to Joseph. And he bought fine linen, and came and took the body of Jesus. And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in .a clean linen cloth : there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight. Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in clean linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury. Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new sepulchre; and Joseph laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock, wherein was never man yet laid. Jesus therefore, because of the Jews' for the sepulchre was nigh at hand. was the preparation, and the sabbath

There laid they preparation day; And that day drew on; and

HIS SEPULCHRE SEALED.

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he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.

And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses beheld where he was laid. And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid.

And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath-day according to the commandment.

Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again. Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first. Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as you can. So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.

And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.

And after the sabbath, very early in the morning, the first day of the week, while it was yet dark, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, came to the sepulchre.

But while they were on the way, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord

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