The works of the Reverend and learned John Lightfoot D. D., late Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge such as were, and such as never before were printed : in two volumes : with the authors life and large and useful tables to each volume : also three maps : one of the temple drawn by the author himself, the others of Jervsalem and the Holy Land drawn according to the author's chorography, with a description collected out of his writings.

Crucified.

Sentence of death was passed upon him as he stood in his scarlet Robes and thorny Crown: and when the Jews have now their desire, they mock him, suddenly strip him, and put on his own clothes: Then taking him away to the place of Execution, they lay his Cross upon him [such engines of death doubtless lay alwaies ready about the Judgment Hall] and so as Isaac in the figure, he first bare the wood, that afterward must bear him, Gen. 22. 6, 9. The place of execution was without the City, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 as the Tal∣mudists do determine in Talm. Bab. Sanhedr. fol. 42. 2. [See how the Apostle applies this to his suffering for the Gentiles, Heb. 13. 12.]

By the time he was come out of the City gates, they observe that he is overburdened with his Cross, and thereupon they force Simon a Cyrenian [some noted Disciple belike] to bear the end of it after him.

They come to the place of Execution commonly called Golgatha [not the place of graves, but] the place of sculs: where though indeed there were some burial of the executed, yet was it in such a manner that the place deserved this name rather then the other: for they buried not an executed person in the grave of his Fathers, but there were two places of burial for such: one for them that were slain with the sword and strangled, and the other for them that were burnt and stoned: and when the flesh was wasted, the bones were ga∣thered and buried in the graves of their Fathers: Talm. ubi sup. fol. 46. 1. The proper writing and pronunciation of the word had been Golgolta, but use had now brought it to be uttered Golgotha, which very pronunciation the Samaritan Version useth in Num. 1.

They first strip him, and then offer him intoxicating wine, which when he tasted he refused to drink. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 When any person was brought forth to be put to death, they gave him to drink some frank∣incence in a Cup of Wine, that it might stupifie him: as it is said, Give strong drink to him that is ready to perish, and wine to those that be of heavy hearts. And there is a tradition, that the Gentlewomen of Jerusalem afforded this of their good will, &c. Tal. Bab. ibid. fol. 43. 1. And let it not be impertinent to add that which immediately follows in the same page: A crier went before him that was to be executed, which proclaimed, N. the Son of N. is going to execution because he hath committed such a fact, and N. and N. are witnesses against him

if there be any that can clear him, let them speak. And instantly after: There is a tradition that they hanged Jesus on the eve of the Passover, and a Crier went before him fourty days, Such a one goes to be put to death, because he hath bewitched, deceived, and perverted Israel: if any one can say any thing for his clearing, let him come and speak: but they found no clearing of him, therefore they hanged him upon the eve of the Passover, &c.

He is nailed to his Cross hands and feet, and so the Jews themselves confess Abel [his figure] to have been wounded by Cain, Tanch. fol. 3. col. 4 and Isaac to have been bound on the Altar: Idem fol. 12. col. 2. And with him are crucified two malefactors, [compare Joseph betwixt two offenders, Gen.▪ 40.] 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in Josephus his construction, will help us to understand the sense of the word here. Four souldiers part his garments and cast lots for his coat and sit down to watch him.

Over his head was his cause written, in the expression of which the variety of the E∣vangelists shews their stile, and how where one speaks short another inlargeth, and what need of taking all together to make up the full story. Mark hath it, The King of the Jews. Luke, This is the King of the Jews. Matthew, This is Jesus the King of the Jews. John, Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews: Where the main thing regarded is, that he was condemned for taking on him to be King of the Jews as they pretended, which was also pretended to be Treason against Cesar: and to this point all the Evangelists speak alike, and their variety is only in wording this for the readers understanding: and he that spake shortest spake enough to express the matter of his accusation: and the rest that speak lar∣ger are but a comment upon the same thing. The three tongues in which this was writ∣ten, Hebrew, Greek, and Latine, are thus spoken of in Midras Tillin fol. 25. col. 4. R. Jocha∣nan saith, There are three tongues. The Latine tongue for war, The Greek tongue for speech, and the Hebrew for prayer.

All sorts of people had followed him to the execution: Some openly wept for him and bewailed him, which was not a thing usual in such cases. In the Talmudick Tract last cited fol. 46. 2. there is this strange doctrine, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 They bewailed not him that went to be executed, but only mourned inwardly for him. And what think you was the reason? The Gloss tells you thus, They bewailed him not, because his disgrace might be his expiation: meaning, that whereas they accounted, that the more shame and punishment a condemned person suffered, the more these tended to his expiation, they therefore would not openly bewail him, for that would have been some honour to him, and so would have abated of his expiation; but none lamenting for him, it was the greater disgrace, and the greater the disgrace the better was his sin [as they thought] expiated, and atoned for. This strange custom and opinion, doth set forth this publick bewailing of Christ the more remarkably.

Others, when he was now raised upon his Cross reviled him, among whom were the chief Priests, Scribes, and Elders: who had so little to do, or rather their malice so much as to attend the execution. They were at first in some hesitancy whether he would not deliver himself by miracle: but when they saw he did not, then they triumph and insult at no measure. Nay, the theeves that were crucified with him spared him not, for so Matthew and Mark tell us, but at last one of them becomes a convert and receives assu∣rance of being that day with him in Paradise. [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 a phrase very usual with them.] Compare the case of Josephs fellow prisoners, Gen. 40. the one desiring him to remember him and escaping, and the other not.

It may be, the darkness now begun, in an extraordinary and dreadful manner, was some means of working upon this thief for his conviction that Jesus was the Messias: For instantly upon his raising upon his Cross, it was now the sixth hour or high Noon compleat, and the darkness began, and continued till three a clock afternoon: the very space of time of the day that Adam lay in darkness without the promise, from the time of his fall till God came and revealed Christ to him.

By the Cross stood the Mother of Jesus now a Widdow, and as it seemeth, destitute of maintenance, therefore he commendeth her to the care and charge of his beloved Disci∣ple John. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 A widdow was to be maintained out of the estate of her husbands heirs untill she received her dowry. Maym. in 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 per. 18. But the po∣verty of Joseph and Mary afforded neither heritage, nor dower, nor had they any Chil∣dren but Jesus who was now dying. If those that are called the brethren of Jesus were the sons of Joseph by another wife, as some have thought them, they had been fittest to have been charged with the maintenance of the widdow.

About the ninth hour Jesus crieth out, Eli, Eli lama sabachthani, that is, My God, my God, why hast thou left me? Not forsaken him, as to the feeling of any spiritual deser∣tion, but why left to such hands and to such cruel usage? Some said hereupon he called Elias: but was this said in mockery? or indeed did they think his words Eli, Eli meant Elias? Two things might make them really think so: the unusualness of the word Eli or Elohi in their Syriack tongue, the word Mari being it by which they commonly ex∣pressed

the sense of that. And 2. the common opinion and legends that they had of Elias his coming to comfort and resolve men in distress and perplexity, of which their Talmuds give not a few examples.

Complaining of thirst he had vinegar given him, which having tasted, and feeling the pangs of death come upon him, he saith, It is finished, and giving up a great cry, and committing his Spirit to God, he dieth [at the time of the evening sacrifice.] At which instant there was an Earthquake which rent the rocks: and the vail of the Temple was then also rent in the middle: The Priest that offered Incense that evening sacrifice time, could bring an amazed testimony of this, when he came forth. The renting of the rocks light in such a place as where were the graves of many Saints hewn out, which now were opened [and shewed the conquest over the grave] and at another Earthquake at which Christs grave was opened on the morning of his resurrection, the mouldred bodies of these graves revived, and after his rising they came out of the graves also and came into the holy City. Observe that Matthew calls Jerusalem The holy City, when it hath now murdered Christ, chap. 27. 53. How great a matter must it be that must unchurch a Nation?

The Centurion and the company present, at the sight of what strange things had oc∣curred, return much affected and full of thoughts about what was done: As the evening grew on, the Jews desire and obtain that the legs of them might be broken so to hasten their end, that they might not hang on the Cross all night. This dispatcheth the peni∣tent thief [howsoever it did the other] as we may conclude from the words of Christ that told him of being that day in Paradise: But Christ being dead already they brake no bone of him, but one with a Spear pierceth him, and out of his side cometh water and blood distinct and discernable the one from the other.

At Even Joseph of Aramathaea [Samuels Town, 1 Sam. 1. 1.] a Priest or a Levite, one of the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Council-chamber of the Temple, begs the body of Jesus, which otherwise should have been buried in the common graves of Malefactors, and intombs it in his own Tomb, Nichodemus joyning with him, and the Women observing where he was laid, go and prepare spices for his further imbalming when the Sabbath was over: all shewing their love to him, but in this very action shewing their little expecting his Resur∣rection.