the very agonies of death, uttering that bitter lamentation; "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" and you must at once say, was there ever sorrow like unto this sorrow? But, what still added to this unparalleled sorrow of heart, and pierced it still deeper, were the insolent reproaches and impious revilings of those for whom he thus suffered, When they had blindfolded him, they smote him with the palms of their hands; and, deriding his pretensions of being a prophet, tauntingly said; "Prophecy unto us, thou Christ, who is he that smote thee When they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand; and, in ridicule of his claim of royalty, they bowed the knee before him, saying: Hail, king of the Jews." When they had nailed him to the cross, hand and foot, so that he could not move, they insulted him, as the Saviour of the world, and blasphe mously said; " He saved others, himself he cannot save; let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him;" and, either ignorantly or scornfully misapplying his dying words, they insolently said, “Let us see whether Elias will come to take him down." These indignities and contumelious reproaches offered to the majesty of the Son of God literally verified those words of the Psalmist, xxii. 7, 8, who was a type of Christ; "All they that see me laugh me to scorn; they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, He trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him; let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him,"

Prophecy unto us, &c. "Acerbissima ironia. Hoc ideo quia oculos obvelaverant, ut Marcus addit, prophetarum autem erat non tantum futura prædicere, quod proprie vox indicat, sed et alia quæ naturali cognitione sciri nequibant." Grotius, &c.

A crown of thorns. "Ramusculos aliquot spinosos convolventes, in orbemque torquentes et contexentes, coronam condidere, ligno auri vice, et spinis gemmarum loco, constantem." Bru gensis, &c. "Maledictio in spinis cœpit, Gen. iii. 18, in spinis desut. Lilium (hîc erat) in me dio spinarum, Cant. ii. 2." Grotius, &c.

"De redituro Elia vetus fama, ex vaticiniis malè intellectis hausta, non Palestinos tantum Judæos, sed et Hellenitas, pervaserat, ut ex Ecclesiastici libro manifestum est. Ejus tempus jam instare putabatur, Matt. xvii. 10." Grotius, &c. "Vel hæc verba calumniantes perverterunt,. ut datâ operâ Christo illuderent," Brugensis, &c.

This prediction then of the prophet, having been fulfilled, entirely and wholly, both in body and soul, alive and dead, in the person of Jesus, is a most convincing testimony of the spirit, that this is the very Christ.

From the act of piercing, let us proceed to the persons who pierced him. For the prophet's mode of expression is very singular and appropriated. He does not say, they shall look on me, who was pierced, but on me, whom they have pierced; which necessarily implies the piercers themselves. The evangelist, in reciting these words, varies indeed from the prophet in the expression but not in the sense; They shall look on him whom they pierced ;" and, if we consult the context of the original, some versions, and several manuscripts, it is probable that this is the true reading.* Which will likewise instruct us, in some measure, who they were who pierced him. The whole passage runs thus ; "And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications, and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced; and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him as one that is in bitterness for his first-born."

It is evident, then, that they who pierced him are the house of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and this is indisputably confirmed by the authority of St Peter, who addresses himself thus to the man of Judea and all those who dwell at Jerusalem; “ Iim, i. e. Jesus, being delivered by the determinate counsel and fore-knowledge of God,

* Grotius not only observes that some authors read, not ; but it is supported by forty MSS. See Kennic. Collat. and Randolph. And it is likewise to be remarked, that the Syriac, according to Walton's version, reads both the pronouns. But, if the text, as it now stands, be adhered to, it may be well urged as a proof of the divinity of Christ, as it is the same person, i. e. Jehovah, who poureth the spirit of grace and supplications upon the house of Judah, and who is pierced. For which reason Dr Eveleigh contends that this is the true reading; and observes, from De Rossi, that, "Non modo plerique ac meliores codices legunt; sed sine ullo alterius lectionis indicio acerrimi Christianorum hostes, Lipmannus, &c." And, in opposition to Dr Blayney's opinion, that in this place is merely a preposition, and should be rendered ad, or versus, he remarks, that, in the other twenty-two passages where it occurs in this book, it always is rendered by Dr Blayney himself, ad me. However, I cannot help thinking that Dr Kennicott's observation ought to have great weight, that the Old Testament should be corrected by the New.

ye

ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain." By wicked hands here are to be understood the Roman governor and his under agents.* Which circumstance affords a most eminent display of the wonderful interference of Providence; for, had not Judea been at this time under the direction of a Roman governor, that remarkable. prediction of David, they pierced my hands and my feet, and this of Zechariah, could not have been accomplished; for crucifixion was not a Jewish punishment. The Jews, therefore, through malice, as well as through ignorance, delivered up the Prince of Life to Pontius Pilate to be crucified, that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spake, signifying what death he should die, John xii. 33. And they readily took the whole guilt of this atrocious deed upon themselves; all the people saying, “His blood be on us and on our children.‡” But, though they were the avowed murderers of the Holy one and the just ane, yet they were but instruments in the hand of God, (as the Roman governor was only their agent,) and are rather to be considered as accessaries than as principals in crucifying the Lord of Glory; as those remarkable words of Isaiah indisputably testify,." He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities, and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." Which St Peter fully explains, 1 Eph. ii. 24, where he says, "Who his own self bare our sins in his

* By wicked hands. "Dicuntur per Romanos hoc fecisse Judæi, quòd a Romanis importunis flagitationibus ac minis extorsere. Facit, qui facit ut fiat.” Grotius. ↑ What death he should die, i. e. the death of the cross. Which was certainly, typically foretold by the lifting up of the brazen serpent in the wilderness; see John,. iii. 14: and perhaps in the intended sacrifice of Isaac, who was in many respects an eminent type of Christ; for, as Lyra and others have observed, "Ligavit (Abrahamus) Isàacum, non quia timeret, ne fugeret, aut rebellaret; sed ut significaret ligationem Christi in cruce." And that expression of laying him upon the altar, on the wood, may give some countenance to this supposition,

"Sic et Romani dicebant, sit capiti tuo.. Testes solebant dicere, sit sanguis istius super nos, et super filios. Mos vetus non se modo, sed et liberos devotandi. Certe magnis sceleribus etiam. posteritatem obstringi, non Hebræorum tantùm, sed et omnium prope gentium, fuit opinio." Grotius, &c.

"De solo Christo hæc accipienda ipsa phrasis, posuit in eo, docet; que sacrificalis est, et desumpta ab hirco illo amorquá, Levit. xvi. 20, &c." Calovius.

own body on the tree.*" The sins of the whole world then nailed Jesus to the cross, and all we, as sinners, have pierced him through with many sorrows, sharper than a two-edged sword. And the gracious intention of his being lifted up, as Moses Jifted up the serpent in the wilderness, Joh. iii. 14, which was a type of Christ's death, was, as he himself tells us, that he might draw all men unto him, Joh. xii. 32. For there is no other name under heaven, given among men, whereby. we must be saved. As, therefore, it was an act of the most adorable mercy, that, for our sakes he became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross, so it is a duty of interest, as well as of gratitude, for us to look upon him whom our sins have pierced. And this will be attended with several effects. The first of which is that natural one which is pointed out to us in the words following the text; "And they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his first-born: which implies the very deepest degree of grief and sorrow. And the prophet, by this expression, most probably originally alluded to the conversion of the Jews on the day of Pentecost, when, as we are informed by St Luke,. Act ii. 42, there were about three thousand souls added to the church of Christ; amongst whom might be some of those very persons who were immediately concerned in the crucifixion of Jesus; for, when

*The expressions in this passage are remarkably emphatical; his own self, " ipse, i. e. per se; in propria persona, non per alienum sacrificium; sed sui ipsius oblatione; ut simul et sacerdos esset et victima." Gerhardus, &c.

"Dubitandum non est, quin Christus ad crucem suam respiciat, quo sensu vox ¿îêð∞ et infra® réperitur viii. 28, et xii. 33, 34. Impositus est serpens ille baby, Num. xxi. 8, 9. Illud autem DR.S. interpretantur, furcam. Et quod hic in Syriaco est pro i to, id Kimchi interpretatur pt, unde est vok пát, quæ crucem Syris significat." Grotius. Quod hic dicit Christus, non desunt illius indicia in scriptis veterum R.R. Illud nn, deduxisti, Psal. lxxvi. 20, R. Josua sic explicat, ut singulæ literæ vocem integram designent, et notet ht, suspensum; quo nomine Christum hodie vocant Judri per summam contumeliam. Significat, inquit, Deum dedisse populo suo suspensum pro capite, idque per manus Mosis et Aharon. Suspensum, i. e. Messiam; qui serpentis ænei typo adumbratus fuit: neque enim alius suspensus erat qui populi Dei caput esse po- ́ terat. Deus voluit a Mose et Aharone attolli atque suspendi serpentem æneum typum Messia faturi capitis ecclesiæ." Capellus.

they

we

they had heard St.Peter's discourse, they were pricked; in their heart,› and said unto him and the rest of the apostles, in the language 'of despair, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?*". Or to their conversion at the end of the world: for, though blindness in part hath happened unto Israel, and they now deride a crucified Saviour, the time will come when the, veil, which is upon their heart; shall be taken away; and, looking up to him whom they have pierced, they shall cry out, in the words of St Peter, "Lord, save us;" or, "ive perish." But this spirit of grace and supplication, of sorrow and remorse, which: has in some measure been poured out upon the house of Judah, and will be still more so when the fulness of the Gentiles be come in, is not confined to the people of Israel; but all those who look unto Jesus, the author and finisher of their faith, with truly contrite hearts, he will not despise. And, when we view him extended on the cross, in the greatest agonies and torture, and see the blood and water issuing forth from his side, the sight must certainly pierce our hearts with mourning and woe; and we shall weep not so much for him, as for our own sins: and iniquities, which nailed him to the cross. And this compunction of soul will necessarily be productive of repentance and conversion. For, if we contemplate the sufferings of our Saviour and the real cause: of them, and do not utterly forsake our sins, we crucify the Son of God afresh, and again put him to an open shame. But they, that are

What shall we do? "Sentient tandem Judæi pretiosum fuisse illum thesaurum quem spreve rant, et deflebunt excæcationem atque ingratitudinem suam, quòd perverse bellum gesserunt cum Deo et filio ejus, terroremque conciperent ob vindictam ipsis imminentém." Calvin.

"Ex parte, refertur ad Israelem, q. d. Cæcitas obtigit Israeli, non toti, sed ex parte, non tamen exigua, sed multo maxima; non omnibus omnino, sed aliquibus, &c. vel ad tempus, q. d. non semper, quia postea credent." Piscator, &c." Tam de temporis quam de populi parte accipi potest." Episcopius.

"Cum divino lumine illustrati evangelii claritatem admiserint Judæi, a litera ad spiritum conversi." Menochius. "Tunc videbunt quantus sit splendor evangelii olim præfiguratus. Vide Orig. contra Celsum, et Rablinum Israelem, cap. 3." Grotius.

"Nam qui id faciunt, eo ipso ostendunt credere se Christum fuisse impostorem, ac proinde dignum cruce omnique ignominia," Grotius, &c.

Christ's