Matth. xxvii. 37, his accusation.] As to the title itself, the precise wording may have differed in the different languages; and MSS. represent it differently. But the same verbal exactness is not necessary in historians, whose aim is religious instruction, as in recorders of public inscriptions. It is enough that the Evangelists agree as to the main article, "the King of the Jews," referred to, John xix. 21. That their manner is to regard the sense, rather than the words, appears from many places. Compare Matth. iii. 17, and ix. 11, and xv. 27, and xvi. 6, 9, and xix. 18, and xx. 33, and xxi. 9, and xxvi. 39, 64, 70, and xxviii. 5, 6, with the parallel verses in this Harmony. Compare also John xi. 40, with ver. 23, 25. One of the most solemn and aw (SIXTH DAY OF THE WEEK.) Jerusalem. LUKE. CH. XXIII. 26-33. which also bewailed and lamented him. 28 But Jesus turning unto them, said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children. 29 For behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck. 30 Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us.b 31 For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry? 32 And there were also two others, malefactors, led with him to be put to death. 33 And when they were come to the place which is called Calvary, JOHN. went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew, Golgotha. (SIXTH DAY OF THE WEEK. CH. XXIII. 33, 34, 38. 33 There they crucified him, and the malefactors; one on the right hand, and the other on the left. 34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots. 38 And a superscription also was written over him, in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. a Isa. liv. 1. Jerusalem. CH. XIX. 18-24. 18 Where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst. 19 And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. b Hos. x. 8. ful of our Lord's discourses is, in some parts, variously expressed. See Matth. xxvi. 28, Mark xiv. 24, Luke xxii. 20, 1 Cor. xi. 25. Now as each of these writers has, beyond all doubt, faithfully represented the meaning of Christ, we see that it might be truly done in different words, or in a different form of the same words. His sentences also, sometimes admitted a difference of arrangement; for the order in which two sentences, or the several members of the same sentence, are disposed by St. Matthew, is, in several places, inverted by St. Mark. And with regard to his actions, though the most material parts of whatever they were going to relate must command their attention, yet there was no such superior attraction in one specific number and order of § 154. The Jews mock at Jesus on the cross. CH. XXVII. 39-44. He commends CH. XV. 29-32. 39 And they that passed by, reviled 29 And they that passed by, railed him, wagging their heads, on him, wagging their heads, and say40 And saying, Thou that destroy-ing, Ah, thou that destroyest the temest the temple, and buildest it in ple, and buildest it in three days, three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross. 41 Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, 30 Save thyself, and come down from the cross. 31 Likewise also the chief priests mocking, said among themselves with the scribes, He saved others; himself he cannot save. a Isa. liii. 12. secondary circumstances, as could turn their thoughts absolutely and exclusively to them. This is plain from instances to the contrary. One Evangelist is sometimes distinct, while another is concise; and describes what the other passes over. TownSON, pp. 60-1. We may reasonably suppose St. Matthew to have cited the Hebrew, St. John the Greek, and St. Mark the Latin, which was the shortest, and without mixture of foreign words. St. Mark is followed by St. Luke; only that he has brought down 66 THIS IS" from above, as having a common reference to what stood under it. NEW COME. (SIXTH DAY OF THE WEEK.) LUKE. Jerusalem. JOHN. CH. XIX. 18-24. 20 This title then read many of the Jews for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin. 21 Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews. 22 Pilate answered, What I have written, I have written. 23 Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout. 24 They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did. his mother to John. (SIXTH DAY OF THE WEEK.) Jerusalem. CH. XXIII. 35-37, 39-43. 35 And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God. 36 And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar, 37 And saying, If thou be the King of the Jews, save thyself. John xix. 23, four parts.] We have here an incidental allusion to a practice well known at that time. The malefactor about to be crucified, having borne his own cross to the place of execution, was stripped, and made to drink a stupefying potion; the cross was then laid on the ground, the sufferer distended upon it, and four soldiers, two on each side, were employed in driving four large nails through his hands and feet. For this service they had a right to his clothes, as a perquisite. See Dr. Harwood's Introd., cited in HORNE's Introd., vol i. pp. 94, 95. Luke xxiii. 36, vinegar.] Here the common drink of the Roman soldiers is offered by them to Jesus on the cross, while they are deriding him; which is a different act from that in Matth. xxvii. 34, 48, as appears by the place assigned to it. NEWCOME. 154. The Jews mock at Jesus on the cross. MATTHEW. CH. XXVII. 39-44. He commends MARK. CH. XV. 29-32. 42 He saved others; himself he 32 Let Christ the King of Israel cannot save. If he be the King of descend now from the cross, that we Israel, let him now come down from may see and believe. And they that the cross, and we will believe him. were crucified with him, reviled him. 43 He trusted in God; let him deliver him now if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God." 44 The thieves also which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth. 155. Darkness prevails. Christ expires on the cross. CH. XXVII. 45-50. 45 Now, from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. CH. XV. 33-37. 33 And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land, until the ninth hour. Ps. xxii. 7, 8. Luke xxiii. 39, one of the male factors.] What was true of only one of the malefactors, is attributed to both in the concise relations of Matthew and Mark; the plural being often used in the Gospels for the singular. This the Evangelists themselves show in some instances. Compare Mark vii. 17, and Matth. xv. 15; Mark v. 31, and Luke viii. 45; Matth. xiv. 17, and Mark vi. 38, Luke ix. 13, John vi. 8, 9; Matth. xxvi. 8, and Mark xiv. 4, John xii. 4; Matth. xxiv. 1, and Mark xiii. 1; Matth. xxvii. 37, and John xix. 19; Matth. xxvii. 48, and Mark xv. 36, John xix. 29. See also Luke xxii. 67. In the following places, the plural is used, while the sense shows that one is spoken of. John xi. 8, Luke xx. 21, 39, and xxiv. 5, Matth. xv. 1, 12. — The Evangelists, therefore, when from attention to brevity they avoid particularizing, |