BOOK 6. THE DEATH.
CHAPTER 1.
6.1.1. Of the Day of Christ's sufferings, divided into parts and hours.
Of the Day of Christ's sufferings, divided into parts and hours.
Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? Behold and see.
Lamentations 1:12
Consider him who hath endured such contradiction of sinners against himself.
Hebrews 12:3
The Sun of righteousness that arose with healing, we shall now see go down in a ruddy cloud: and in this piece, (as in the former) we must first lay down the object, and then direct you to look upon it.
The object is Jesus, carrying on the work of man's salvation during the time of his sufferings. Now, in all the transactions of this time, we shall observe them as they were carried on successively in those few hours of his passion and death.
As this work of man's salvation was great, so we cannot but observe how every piece of it was carried on in its due time, even from eternity to eternity. The very time of Christ's passion depended not on the will of man, for his enemies sought many a time before to slay him, as Herod in his infancy, Matth. ii. l6. The Jews in his riper age, when sometimes they took up stones to stone him, John viii. 59. and sometimes they would have broke his neck from an hill, Luke iv. 29. but his time was not then come. We read of the Paschal Lamb that it was to be slain, Exod. xii. 2, 3 ,6. On the fourteenth day of the first month called Abib or Nisan, at the full of the moon, in the evening, or between the evenings: some think this month answers to our March, others to our April, I shall not be too curious in the inquisition, for I think it not worth the while; only this I cannot but observe, that the same day that the Lamb must be slain, must our Paschal Lamb begin his sufferings: and as then it was full moon, so it notes unto us the fulness of time which now was come; and as it was in such a month, as when light prevails against darkness and every thing revives and springs, so Christ (by his sufferings) was to chase away our darkness and death; and to bring in light, and life, and a blessed spring of grace and glory: and as it was to be slain in the evening, or between the evenings; so must Christ the true Paschal Lamb, be sacrificed about the very same hour that the mystical Lamb was slain. To understand which we must know, that the Jews distinguished their artificial day into four parts, from six to nine, from nine to twelve, from twelve to three, from three to six. This last part was counted the evening of the day: and the next three hours the evening of the night: now, in this last part of the day used the paschal lamb to be slain; and after it was slain, some time was taken up to dress it whole for supper; so Christ, at the fourth part of the day, at their ninth hour, that is, at our three of the clock in the afternoon, "between the evenings, with a loud voice, yielded up the Ghost," Matt, xxvii. 50.
For the whole time of these last and extreme sufferings of Christ, I shall reduce them to somewhat less than one natural day; or, if we may take the whole day before us, consisting of twenty-four hours, and begin with the evening, and according to the beginning of the natural days from the creation, (as it is said, Gen. i. 5. "The evening and the morning made the first day,") in this revolution of time, I shall observe these several passages. As, --
1. About six in the evening, Christ celebrated and eat the passover with his disciples, at which time he instituted the sacrament of the Lord's supper; and this continued till the eighth hour.
2. About eight in the evening, he washed his disciples feet, and then leaning on the table, he pointed out Judas that should betray him; and this continued until the ninth hour.
3. About nine in the evening, (the second watch in the night) Judas that traitor went from the disciples; and, in the mean time, Christ made that spiritual sermon, and afterwards that spiritual prayer recited only by John, John xiv. xv. xvi. xvii. chapters, and this together with a psalm they sung, continued at least until the tenth hour. Thus far we proceeded before we had done with the life of Christ. That which concerns his passion follows immediately upon this; and of that only I shall take notice in my following discourse.
This passion of Christ I shall divide between the night and the day.
1. For the night, and his sufferings therein, we may observe these periods, or thereabouts. As, --
(a). From ten to twelve he goes over the brook Cedron to the garden of Gethsemane, where he prayed earnestly, and sweat water and blood.
(b). From twelve to three he is betrayed; and by the soldiers and other officers he is bound, and brought to Jerusalem, and carried into the house of Annas, who was one of the chief priests.
(c). From three till six, they led him from Annas to Caiaphas, when he and all the priests of Jerusalem sat upon Jesus Christ; and there it was that Peter denied Christ; and at last the whole Sanhedrim of the Jews gave their consent to Christ's condemnation.
2. The night thus dispatched,
(a). At six in the morning, about sun rising, our Saviour was brought unto Pilate, and Judas Iscariot hanged himself, because he had betrayed the innocent blood.
(b). About seven in the same morning, Christ is carried to Herod, that cruel tyrant, who, the year before, had put John the Baptist to death.
(c). At eight of the same day, our Saviour Christ is returned to Pilate, who propounded to the Jews, whether they would have Jesus or Barrabbas let loose unto them.
(d). About the ninth, (which the Jews called the third hour of the day) Christ was whipped and crowned with thorns.
(e). About ten, Pontius Pilate brought forth Jesus out of the common hall, saying, "Behold the man;" and then in the place called Gabbatha, he publicly condemned Christ to be crucified.
(a). About eleven our Saviour carried his cross, and was brought to the place called Golgotha, where he was fastened on the cross, and lifted up, "as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness."
(f). About twelve (in that meridian which the Jews call the sixth hour) that supernatural eclipse of the sun happened.
(g). And about three in the afternoon, (which the Jews call the ninth hour) the sun now beginning to receive his light, Christ cried, "It is finished and commending his Spirit into his Father's hands, he gave up the ghost.
I shall add to these. That about four in the afternoon, our blessed Saviour was pierced with a spear; and there issued out of his side both blood and water, and about five, (which the Jews call the eleventh, and the last hour of the day) he was buried by Joseph of Arimathea, and Nicodemus. So that in this round of one natural day, you see now the wonderful transactions of Christ's sufferings. I shall take them in order, and begin with his sufferings in that night before his crucifying. "And Jesus said unto his disciples, all ye shall be offended because of me this night," Matth. xxvi. 31. And he said unto Peter, "That this day, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shaft deny me thrice," Mark xiv. 30.