to distinguish the different Marys mentioned by the Evan- of the Roman soldiers. Our word vinegar, comes from the gelists. French vin aigre, sour or tart wine; and although it is probable Verse 26. The disciple-whom he loved] John, the writer of that it was brought at this time for the use of the four Roman this Gospel.

omitted by John: because he found the others had sufficiently stated them; and it appears he had nothing new to add.

Verse 31. It was the preparation] Every sabbath had a preparation which began at the ninth hour (that is, three o'clock) the preceding evening. Josephus, Ant. b. xvi. c. 6. s. 2. recites an edict of the emperor Augustus in favour of the Jews, which orders, " that no one shall be obliged to give bail or surety on the sabbath day, nor on the preparation before it, after the ninth hour." The time fixed here, was undoubtedly in conformity to the Jewish custom; as they began their preparation at three o'clock on the Friday evening.

That the bodies should not remain] For the law, Deut. xxi. 22, 23. ordered that the bodies of criminals should not hang all night; and they did not wish to have the sabbath profaned by either taking them down on that day, or letting them hang to disturb the joy of that holy time. Probably their consciences began to sting them for what they had done; and they wished to remove the victim of their malice out of their sight. For that sabbath day was a high day] 1. Because it was the sabbath. 2. Because it was the day on which all the people presented themselves in the temple according to the command, Exod. xxiii. 17. 3. Because that was the day on which the sheaf of the first-fruits was offered, according to the command, Lev. xxiii. 10, 11. So that upon this day, there happened to be three solemnities in one. Lightfoot. It might be properly called a high day, because the pass-over fell on that sabbath.

Their legs might be broken] Lactantius says, l. iv. c. 26. that it was a common custom to break the legs or other bones of criminals upon the cross; and this appears to have been a kind of coup de grace, the sooner to put them out of pain.

Verse 34. With a spear pierced his side] The soldier who pierced our Lord's side, has been called by the Roman Catholic writers Longinus, which seems to be a corruption of λoyx", lonchè, a spear or dart; the word in the text. They moreover tell us, that this man was converted-that it was he who said, Truly this was the Son of God-that he travelled into Cappadocia, and there preached the gospel of Christ, and received the crown of martyrdom. But this deserves the same credit as the other legends of the Popish church.

Whether it was the right or the left side of Christ that was pierced, has been a matter of serious discussion among di

b Zech. 12. 10. & 13. 1, 6, 7. 1 John 3. 6, 8.

vines and physicians: and on this subject they are not yet agreed. That it is of no importance we are sure, because the Holy Ghost has not revealed it. Luke Cranache, a famous painter, whose piece of the crucifixion is at Augsburg, has put no wound on either side: when he was asked the reason of this-I will do it, said he, when I am informed WHICH side was pierced.

Blood and water.] It may be naturally supposed, that the spear went through the pericardium and pierced the heart; that the water proceeded from the former, and the blood from the latter. Ambrose, Augustin, and Chrysostom, make the blood an emblem of the eucharist, and the water an emblem of baptism. Others represent them as the emblems of the Old and New Covenants. Protestants have thought them the emblems of justification, which is through the blood of the Lamb; and sanctification, which is through the washing of regeneration; and it is in reference to the first notion, that they mingle the wine with water in the sacrament of the Lord's supper. The piercing appears to have taken place, because his legs were not broken; and as the law in this case stated that the criminals were to continue on the cross till they died, the side of our Lord was pierced to secure the accomplishment of the law; and the issuing of the blood and water appears to be only a natural effect of the above cause; and probably nothing mystical or spiritual was intended by it. However, it affords the fullest proof that Jesus died for our sins. Dr. Lightfoot thinks that there is a reference here to the rock in the wilderness which Moses smote twice; and which, according to the Jews, Shemoth Rabba, fol. 122. “ poured out blood at the first stroke, and water at the second." Now St. Paul 1 Cor. x. 4. That rock was Christ; and here says, the Evangelist says, The soldier pierced his side, and there came out blood and water. St. John therefore, in what he asserts in the 35th and 36th verses, wishes to call the attention of the Jews to this point, in order to shew them that this Jesus was the true Messiah, who was typified by the rock in the wilderness. He knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe.

Verse 35. He that saw it] Most probably John himself, who must have been pretty near the cross, to have been able to distinguish between the blood and the water, as they issued from the side of our blessed Lord.

b

39 And there came also
39 And there came also

Nicodemus embalms it.

Nicode- A. M. 4033.

A. D. 29.

An. Olymp.

CCLI. 1.

mus, which at the first came to Jesus
by night, and brought a mixture of
myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pound weight.
40 Then took they the body of Jesus, and

37 And again another scripture saith, They wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as shall look on him whom they pierced. the manner of the Jews is to bury.

and fourscore pounds of spices were used at the funeral of
R. Gamaliel the elder. See Wetstein in loc.

Verse 40. Wound it in linen] See on chap. xi. 34.
Verse 41. There was a garden] It was an ancient custom
for particular families to have burying places in their gardens.
See 2 Kings xxi. 18, 26.

New sepulchre] See on Matt. xxvii. 60.

And he knoweth] This appears to be an appeal to the Lord Jesus, for the truth of the testimony which he had now delivered. But why such a solemn appeal, unless there was something miraculous in this matter? It might appear to him necessary, 1. Because the other Evangelists had not noticed it. 2. Because it contained the most decisive proof of the death of Christ. As a wound such as this was, could not have been inflicted (though other causes had been wanting) without occasioning the death of the person and on his dying for men, depended the salvation of the world. And 3. Be-in a more magnificent tomb; or, that they intended to make cause two important prophecies were fulfilled by this very circumstance, both of which designated more particularly the person of the Messiah. A bone of him shall not be broken, Exod. xii. 46. Numb. ix. 12. Psal. xxxiv. 20. They will look upon him whom they pierced, Zech. xii. 10. Psal. xxii. 16.

Verse 42. Because of the Jews' preparation] From this it may be conjectured, that they had designed to have put him

one expressly for himself after the pass-over; or, that they had designed to have put him somewhere else, but could not do it for lack of time; and that they put him here, because the tomb was nigh. It appears plainly from embalming, &c. that none of these persons had any hope of the resurrection of Christ. They considered him as a great and eminent pro

Verse 38. Joseph of Arimathea] See on Matt. xxvii. 57-phet, and treated him as such. 60. and particularly Mark xv. 42, 43.

Verse 39. Nicodemus] See on chap. iii. 1, &c. Myrrh and aloes] Which drugs were used to preserve bodies from putrefaction. Calmet says that the aloes mentioned here, is a liquor which runs from an aromatic tree; and is widely different from that called aloes among us.

Some have objected, that a hundred pounds weight of myrrh and aloes, was enough to embalm two hundred dead bodies; and instead of ExaTov, a hundred, some critics have proposed to read, Exatɛgwy—a mixture of myrrh and aloes, of about a pound EACH. See Bowyer's Conjectures. But it may be observed, that great quantities of spices were used for embalming dead bodies, when they intended to shew peculiar marks of respect to the deceased. A great quantity was used at the funeral of Aristobulus: and it is said that five hundred servants bearing aromatics, attended the funeral of Herod see Josephus, Ant. b. xv. c. 3. s. 4. and b. xvii. c. 8. s. 3.

:

1. In the burial of our Lord, a remarkable prophecy was fulfilled: His death was appointed with the wicked; and with a rich man was his tomb. See Lowth on Isai. liii. 9. Every thing attending his mock trial, his passion, his death, his burial, &c. afforded the fullest proof of his innocence. In still continuing to reject him, the Jews seem to have exceeded the ordinary bounds of incredulity and callousness of heart. One might imagine that a candid attention to the Gospel facts, collated with those passages in the Law and in the Prophets, which they acknowledge to speak of the Messiah, would be sufficient to furnish them with the utmost evidence and fullest conviction that he is the Christ, and that they are to expect none other. But where people once make a covenant with unbelief, argument, reason, demonstration, and miracles themselves, fail to convince them. As their conviction, through this obstinacy, is rendered impossible, it belongs to God's

justice to confound them. At present they have scarcely any correct knowledge of the true God; and while they continue to reject the genuine faith, they are capable of crediting the most degrading absurdities.

church of the Holy Sepulchre, in 1808.

of death. And thus has perished an engine of superstition, fraud, and imposture. To the most sinful purposes has this Holy Sepulchre been abused. The Greeks and Armenians have pretended that on every Easter eve, fire descends from 2. The Holy Sepulchre, or what has long passed for the burial || heaven, and kindles all the lamps and candles in the place; and place of our Lord, is now no more! On the following infor- immense crouds of pilgrims frequent this place, on these mation the Reader may depend: "On the night of October occasions, in order to witness this ceremony, to light a taper 11, 1808, the church of the Holy Sepulchre was discovered to at this sacred flame, and with these candles to singe and daub be on fire; and between five and six in the morning the burn-pieces of linen, which are afterwards to serve for winding ing cupola, with all the melting and boiling lead upon it, fell sheets; for, says Mr. Maundrel, who was present, April 3rd, in. The excessive heat which proceeded from this immense || mass of liquid fire, caused not only the marble columns, which supported the gallery, to burst; but likewise the marble floor of the church, together with the pilasters and images in bas relief, that decorated the chapel, containing the Holy Sepulchre, situated in the centre of the church. Shortly after, the massive columns, which supported the gallery, fell down, together with the whole of the walls." Thus has perished the famous church raised by the Empress Helena fourteen hundred years || ago, over the place where the body of our blessed Lord was supposed to have been deposited, while he lay under the power

1697, and witnessed the whole of this absurd and abominable ceremony," it is the opinion of these poor people, that if they can but have the happiness to be buried in a shroud, smutted with this celestial fire, it will certainly secure them from the flames of hell."

See the whole of his circumstantial account of this imposture, and the ridiculous and abominable ceremonies with which it is accompanied, in his Journey from Aleppo to Jerusalem, edit. 5th, pp. 94-97. and let the Reader thank God that he is not degraded with a superstition, that renders the grace of the Gospel of none effect.

CHAPTER XX.

Mary Magdalene coming early to the sepulchre, finds it empty, and runs and tells Peter, 1, 2. Peter and John run to the tomb, and find all as Mary had reported, 3-10. Mary sees a vision of angels in the tomb, 11-13. Jesus himself appears to her, and sends her with a message to the disciples, 14-18. He appears to the disc ples, gives the fullest proof of the reality of his resurrection, and communicates to them a measure of the Holy Spirit, 19-23. The determined incredulity of Thomas, 24, 25. Eight days after, Jesus appears again to the disciples, Thomas being present, to whom he gives the proofs he had desired, 26, 27. Thomas is convinced, and makes a noble confession, 28. Our Lord's reflections on his case, 29. Various signs done by Christ, not circumstantially related, 30. Why others are recorded, 31.

All that John relates concerning the resurrection of our Lord, he has collected partly from the account given by Mary Magdalene, and partly from his own observations. From Mary he derived the information given ver. 1, 2. and from ver. 11-18. From his own actual knowledge, what he relates ver. 3—10, 19-29. and the whole of chap. xxi. It is supposed that he details the account given by Mary, without altering any circumstance, and without either addition || er retrenchment. See Rosenmuller.

As

Verse 1. The first day of the week] On what we call Sunday morning, the morning after the Jewish sabbath. Christ had been buried in haste, these holy women had bought perfumes, Mark xvi. 1. Luke xxiv. 1. to embalm him afresh; and in a more complete manner than it could have been done by Joseph and Nicodemus. John only mentions Mary of Magdala, because he appears to wish to give a more detailed history of her conduct, than of any of the rest: but the other Evangelists speak of three persons who went together to the tomb, viz. Mary of Magdala, Mary the

mother of James, and Salome: Matt. xxviii. 1. Mark body had been stolen away, those who took it would not have xvi. 1.