Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

and is told, He fhould be that Day in Paradife.

43 And Jefus faid unto him, Verily I fay unto thee, To-day fhalt thou be with

me in Paradife,

[ocr errors]

567 into that thy Kingdom, to which I doubt not Sect. 190. but God will raife thee in fpight of Death and Hell (i). And Jefus turning towards him, Luk.XXIII. faid to him with a Mixture of the greatest Dig- 43. nity and Mercy, Verily I fay unto thee, and folemnly affure thee of it as a most certain Truth, that this very Day thou shalt be with me in Paradife, fharing the Entertainments of that Garden of GOD, the Abode of happy Spirits when feparate from the Body (k); and there fhalt thou begin to reap the Fruits of that Faith, which breaks thro' fo dark a Cloud, and honours me in the midst of this Infamy and Distress.

IMPROVEMENT.

OW great and glorious does the Lord Jefus Chrift appear, in the
midst of all those Dishonours, which his Enemies were now heap-

ing upon him! While these rapacious Soldiers were dividing the Spoils, John xix.
parting his Raiment among them, and cafting Lots for bis Vefture, GOD 23, 24.
was working in all, to crown him with a Glory, which none could take
from him, and to make the Luftre of it fo much the more confpicuous
by that dark Cloud which now furrounded him.

His Enemies upbraided him as an abandoned Mifcreant, deferted both Mat. xxvii. by GoD and Man; but he, (tho' able to have come down from the Cross 39,—43··

in

(i) When thou comeft into thy Kingdom.] Some have inferred from hence, that this Malefactor had learnt fomething of Chrift in Prifon, and have urged the Poffibility of his having exercifed, perhaps, a long and deep Repentance there, against the Suppofition of the fudden Change, that most have fuppofed in this Cafe. But Chrift's Kingdom was now the Subject of fo much Difcourfe, that he might on that Day, and indeed in a few Minutes of it, have learnt all that was neceffary, as the Foundation of this Petition. I cannot therefore but look on this happy Man, (for fuch, amidst all the Ignominy and Torture of the Crofs, he furely was,) as a glorious Inftance of the Power, as well as Sovereignty of Divine Grace, which (as many have obferved,) perhaps taking the firft Occafion from the preternatural Darkness, wrought fo powerfully, as to produce, by a fudden and aftonishing Growth in his laft Moments, all the Virtues which could be crouded into fo fmall a Space, and which were eminently manifefted in his confeffing his own Guilt, in his admonishing his Companion for a Crime, which he feared would prove fatal to him, in his vindicating the Character of Chrift, and repofing his Confidence in him, as the Lord of a Kingdom beyond the Grave, when his Enemies were triumphing over him, and he himself, abandoned by most of his Friends, was expiring on a Crofs. The Modefty, as well as the Faith of his Petition, may also deferve our attentive Remark.

(k) Thou shalt be with me in Paradife.] Bos has fhewn (in his Exercit. Philol. pag. 49, 50.) that this Expreffion, uel ex eon, thou shalt be with me, was the Language ufed when inviting Guefts to an Entertainment; and the Word Paradife originally fignified a Garden: of Pleafure, fuch as thofe in which the Eastern Monarchs made their magnificent Banquets. See Raphel. Annot. ex Xenoph. pag. 119.

568

42.

Reflections on the Mercy of CHRIST to the Penitent Thief. Sect. 190. in a Moment, or by one Word from thence to have truck these infolent Wretches dead on the Place, and to have fent their guilty Spirits to accompany the Fiends, under whofe Influence they were ;) yet patiently endured all, and was as a deaf Man, who heard not their Reproaches, and as a dumb Man that openeth_ not his Mouth. (Pfal. xxxviii. 13.) But as foon Luke xxiii. as the Penitent Thief addreffed him with that humble Supplication, the Language of Repentance, Faith, and Hope, Lord, remember me when thou comeft into thy. Kingdom, he immediately bears, and answers him: And in how gracious and remarkable a Phrafe? This Day fhalt thou be with me in Paradife! What a Triumph was here, not only of Mercy to the dying Penitent, but of the strongest Faith in GoD, that when to an Eye of Senfe he feemed to be the most deferted and forgotten by him, and was on every Side befet with the Scorn of them that were at Eafe, and with the Contempt of the Proud, he should fpeak from the Cross, as from a Throne, and undertake from thence, not only to difpenfe Pardons, but to difpofe of Seats in Paradife!

Ver. 43.

Most ungrateful, and most foolish, is the Conduct of thofe, who take Encouragement from hence, to put off their Repentance, perhaps to a dying Moment: Most ungrateful, in perverting the Grace of the Redeemer, into an Occafion of renewing their Provocations against him, and hardening their Hearts in their Impieties: And most foolish, to imagine that what our Lord did in fo fingular a Circumstance, is to be drawn into an ordinary Precedent. This Criminal had, perhaps, never heard of the Gospel before; and now how cordially does he embrace it! Probably there are few Saints in Glory, who ever honoured Chrift more illustriously, than this dying Sinner, acknowledging him to be the Lord of Life, whom he faw in the Agonies of Death; and pleading his Caufe, when his Friends and Brethren forfook him, and food afar off. (Compare Mat. xxvi. 56. and Luke xxiii. 49.)

But fuch is the Corruption of Men's Hearts, and fuch the Artifice of Satan, that all other Views of him are overlooked, and nothing remembered, but that he was a notorious Offender, who obtained Mercy in his departing Moments. The Lord grant, that none who read this Story here, may be added to the Lift of thofe, who defpifing the Forbearance and Long-fuffering of GOD, and not knowing that his Goodness leads to Repentance, have been emboldened to abuse this Scripture, so as to perifh, either without crying for Mercy at all, or crying for it in vain, after having treasured up an inexhaustible Store of Wrath, Mifery, and Defpair! (Rom. ii, 4, 5)

SECT.

CHRIST recommends his Mother to the Care of John. 569

SECT. CXCI.

CHRIST, having recommended his Mother to the Care of
John, and fuffered many Agonies and Indignities on the
Cross, expires; amazing Prodigies attending his Death,
and alarming the Confciences of the Spectators.

XXVII. 45, 44,—48.

-54. Mark XV. 33,

48. John XIX. 25,

[blocks in formation]

-30.

Mat.

-39. Luke XXIII.

JOHN XIX. 25.

25.

AND while he fuffered all these Infults and Sect. 191.
Sorrows, there flood near the Cross of Jefus,
bis Mother (a), and bis Mother's Sifter, (whofe John XIX.
Name was alfo Mary, who was [the Wife] of
Cleopas (b),) and Mary Magdalene; and with
them alfo, John, his intimate Friend, the Relator
of this Story.

Jefus therefore feeing his Mother, and John, 26
the Difciple whom he peculiarly loved, standing
near, his affectionate Care and Regard to both fo
wrought in his Heart in the midst of all his Ago-

nies,

(a) His Mother.] Neither her own Danger, nor the Sadness of the Spectacle, nor the Reproaches and Infults of the People, could reftrain her from performing the laft Office of Duty and Tenderness to her Divine Son on the Crofs. Grotius juftly obferves, that it was a noble Inftance of Fortitude and Zeal. Now a Sword (according to Simeon's Prophecy, Luke ii. 35.) ftruck thro' her tender Heart, and pierced her very Soul; and perhaps the Extremity of her Sorrows might so overwhelm her Spirits, as to render her incapable of attending the Sepulchre, which we do not find that he did; nor do we indeed meet with any thing after this concerning her in the Sacred Story, or in early Antiquity; except that The continued among the Disciples after our Lord's Afcenfion, which Luke obferves, Acts i. 14. Andreas Cretenfis, a Writer of the Seventh Century, does indeed tell us, he died with John at Ephefus, many Years after this, in an extream old Age; and it appears from a Letter of the Council of Ephefus in the Fifth Century, that it was then believed, she was buried there. But they pretend to fhew her Sepulchre at Jerufalem, and many ridiculous Tales are forged concerning her Death, and Assumption, or being taken up into Heaven, of which the beft Popish Authors themfelves appear heartily afhamed. See Calmer's Dictionary, Vol. ii. pag. 141.

(b) His Mother's Sifter, Mary [the Wife] of Cleopas.] It is not determined in the Original, whether he was the Wife, or Mother, or Daughter of Cleopas; but Criticks generally fuppofe, fhe was his Wife; and that he was alfo called Alpheus, and was the Father, as this Mary was the Mother, of James, and Fofes, and Simon, and Judas, who are therefore called our Lord's Brethren, or Kinfmen. (Mat. xiii. 55.) See Note (e) on John xiv. 22. pag. 457. Grotius indeed thinks, that Cleopas was her Father, and Alpheus her Hufband. After all, we cannot certainly determine it; but like most other undeterminable Points, it is a Matter of no great Importance. I know none who has fet it in a plainer and jufter Light, than Dr. Edwards, Exercit. Part ii. No 1. pag. 163, & feq.

VOL. II.

Cccc

(c) Said

570

John XIX. 26.

The Land is overfpread with Darkness for Three Hours.

Son.

27 Then faith he to the

Difciple, Behold thy Mo-
that Difciple took her unto
his own Home.

ther. And from that Hour

Sect. 191. nies, that he faid to his Mother, Woman (c), behold loved, he faith unto his Mo-
thy Son; kindly look on that dear Friend of mine ther, Woman, behold thy
as thy own Child, and treat him with the fame
Affection and Care which thou wouldeft express
27 towards me under that Relation (d). And then
be faid to that Difciple, Behold thy Mother, and
entertain towards her that Reverence and Love,
which a Child owes to a worthy Parent; for I
now folemnly with my dying Breath bequeath
her to thy Care. And from that Hour that Dif
ciple took her Home to his own [Houfe,] and
maintained her moft chearfully and refpectfully,
as if he had indeed been his own Mother.
And Jefus having hung upon the Crofs about
XXVII. 45. Three Hours, it was now near Noon, or, accord-
ing to the Jewish Manner of expreffing the Time,
it was about the Sixth Hour; and from the Sixth
Hour, there was an amazing and fupernatural
Darkness over the whole Land of Judea till the
Ninth Hour (e), or till Three o'clock in the

Matth.

[ocr errors]

Afternoon;

MAT.XXVII. 45. Now Hour, and] from the Sixth [LUK.it was about the Sixth Hour there was Darkness over all the Land unto the Ninth Hour. [MARK XV. 33. LUKE XXIII. 44.]

(c) Said to his Mother, Woman.] We have obferved elsewhere, that Jofeph probably was dead, fome Time before: (Compare Note (b) on John ii. 1. Vol. i. pag. 133. and Note (a) on John vi. 42. Vol. i. pag. 505.) And as Jefus now fhewed the tender Concern he had for his Mother, in committing her to the Care of John; fo this Concern that he expreffed for her Support, muft have affected her no lefs, than if he had called her Mother; which some have thought, he might not chufe to do, to avoid expofing her to the Abuses of the Populace, by a Difcovery of her near Relation to him. But Woman was a Title he before had ufed in fpeaking to his Mother, where no fuch Caution was neceffary; and it was frequently applied in antient Times, even to Perfons that were the moft refpected. See Note (d) on John ii. 4. Vol. i. pag. 134.

(d) Behold thy Son.] Some have explained thefe Words, as if they only fignified, “ Bebeld a Perfon that will carry it to thee as thy Son, and will take Care of thee." But as the Tenderness of Jefus for his Mother is expreffed in the next Verfe, in the Direction that he gives to John to treat her as his Mother; it feems more natural to understand this former Exhortation, as expreffive of his Kindnefs for John, and fo to take it as a Direction given to his Mother, to regard him as her Son with all the Affection of a tender Parent.

(e) There was Darkness over the whole Land.] There are fo many Places, in which ya fignifies a particular Country, and not the whole Earth, that I have chofen here to follow our Tranflation; and the rather, because the farther we fuppofe this Darkness to extend, the more unaccountable it is, that no Heathen Writers should have mentioned it, except Phligon; if he is indeed to be excepted. A Darkness over the whole Earth at once, must have been preternatural at any Time; and it is morally impoffible, that a Multitude of Accounts of it fhould not, even by a Tradition of many Hundred Years, have been tranfmitted to Pofterity. What is faid of the Chinese Chronicles mentioning it, muft be very uncertain; and as for Jofephus his Omiffion of it, I think Dr. More with Reafon accounts for it, by his Unwillingness to mention a Fact, which had fo favourable an Afpect on Chriffianity: And the Jews would, no doubt, difguife it as much as they could, and perhaps might perfuade him, and others, that heard the Report of it at fome Diftance of Time or Place, that it was only a dark Cloud, or a thick Mift, which the Followers of Jefus had exaggerated, because it happened

[ocr errors]

JESUS cries out of GOD's forfaking him.

46 And about the Ninth Hour Jefus cried with a loud Voice, faying, [Eloi, Eloi,] lama fabachthani? that is to fay, [being interpreted,] My GOD, my GOD, why haft thou forfaken me? [MARK XV. 34.]

571
Afternoon; during which Time it was as dark, Sect. 191.
as if there had been a Total Eclipfe of the Sun,
tho' in a natural Way it was impoffible, as it was
now Full Moon (f). And this Darkness, with Matth.
which the Face of Nature feemed overspread, XXVII. 46.
was a lively Emblem of the Darkness and Distress
of Spirit, with which the Lord of Nature was
then overwhelmed, and with which he ftruggled
in the folemn Silence, and unutterable Bitterness
of his Soul. But about the Ninth Hour, Jefus
cried with a loud Voice, faying in the Hebrew, or
rather in the Syriac Language, Eloi, Eloi, lama
fabachthani (g)? that is, being interpreted into
other Words, My GOD, my GOD, why haft
thou for faken me? and was as if he had faid, Oh
my Heavenly Father, wherefore doft thou add
to all my other Sufferings thofe which arise from
the Want of a comfortable Sense of thy Presence?
Wherefore doft thou thus leave me alone in the
Combat, deftitute of thofe facred Confolations,
which thou couldft eafily fhed abroad upon my
Soul, and which thou knoweft I have done nothing
to forfeit (b)?

Jefus

happened when their Mafter died. Such Reprefentations are exceeding natural to Hearts corrupted by Infidelity.

(f) As it was now Full Moon.] Mr. Shuckford, in his Preface to the Third Volume of his excellent Connection of the Sacred and Prophane Hiftory of the World, has advanced fome important Confiderations to prove, that it is at leaft very uncertain, whether the Jewish Months, according to the Mofaic Inftitution, began with a New Moon, and confequently whether their Pafover, which was fixed to the Fourteenth Day of the First Month, must always happen at Full Moon. But he allows, that towards the Decline of their State, it did. And indeed Jofephus, who being a Jewish Priest, is an unexceptionable Witness in this Cafe, seems to put it beyond all Poffibility of Doubt; exprefsly afferting, that the Day of Expiation, and confequently their other Feafts, were reckoned by the Age of the Moon. (Jofeph. Antiq. lib. iii. cap. 10. §. 3. Dealy to vos na σenv.)

(g) Eloi, Eloi, lama fabachthani?] It is evident thefe are Syro-Chaldaic, and not properly Hebrew Words; for in the Original of Pfal. xxii. 1. it is not, as here,

-Dr. Edwards thinks, our Lord in his Agony re. אלי אלי למה עזבתני but ,למה שבקתני

peated the Words twice, with fome little Variation, faying at one Time, Eloi, and at the other, Eli. This is poffible; and if it were otherwife, I doubt not but Mark has given us the Word exactly, and Matthew a Kind of Contraction of it. See Edwards's Exercit. pag. 193,196.

(b) Why haft thou for faken me?] The pious and judicious Lord Chief Justice Hale has a ftrange Reflection on thefe Words; "We may (lays he) with Reverence conceive, that at the Time of this bitter Cup, the Soul of our Bleffed Redeemer was for the present ❝ overshadowed with fo much Astonishment and Sorrow, as to overpower and cover the "diftinct Sense of the Reason of his Sufferings, at least in fome Measure and Degree." (Hale's Contemplations, Vol. i. pag. 72.) But the Senfe given in the Paraphrafe is much

Cccc 2

more

« AnteriorContinuar »