Paraphrase of the Hard Texts of Scripture, Scripture 36 · Chapter 27 – Chapter 28
CAP. XXVII.
2 And when they had bound him they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the Governour.BUt, having not in their owne hands, the power of life and death, they bound him, and led him away, and delivered him to the Roman Governour, Pontius Pilate.
3 Then Iudas, which had betrayed him, when hee saw that hee was condemned, repented himselfe, and brought againe the thirty pieces, &c.Then Judas which had betrayed him, when he saw the proceedings, and issue of this businesse, viz. that Jesus was condemned to die (whereas upon the sight, and knowledge of the continuall miracles of Christ hee perhaps) supposed, that (notwithstanding this wicked transacting of his) his master would easily free himselfe from their hands; hee was stricken with a late remorse; and brought againe the thirty pieces &c.
9 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Ieremie the prophet, saying, And they tooke the thirtie pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the Children of Israel did value.See Zachar. 11. verse 13.
The testimony is plainly cited out of Zacharie, and yet is in ancient copies alledged under the name of Ieremie: which doubtlesse happened by the writers mistaking of the abbreviations; foreign for foreign as I have seene it in a very old manuscript.
Now at that feast of the Passover (for the honour of that solemnity) it was an ancient custome of the Jewes,15 Now at that feast, the governour was wont to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would. in memory of their letting loose from their Aegyptian thraldome, to let loose some one prisoner, whom they would choose, for what offence soever he was committed; which favour the Roman governours (to ingratiate themselves with the Jewish people) thought good to continue unto them.
Then Pilate, knowing that it was the Jewish manner,24 He tooke water & washed his hands before the multitude, saying; I am innocent of the bloud of this just person: see ye to it. by washing of hands to signifie and professe their innocencie, tooke water, and in the presence of the multitude washed his hands, and made protestation of his clearenesse and freedome from the guilt of the innocent blood of Jesus Christ.
If there be any fault in shedding the bloud of this man,25 Then answered all the people, and said, his blood be on us, & our children. wee doe willingly take it upon our selves: let it bee required of us, and of our children.
And they scornefully put upon him all the robes and ornaments of royaltie, in mockage and derision: as first,28 And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. they clad him with a scarlet robe.
Then for his crowne,29 And when they had platted a crowne of thorns, they put it upon his head, & a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him. they floutingly put upon his head a wreath of thornes platted together; and instead of a Scepter, they gave him a reed in his hand; and in an open mockage, they bowed their knees to him, & jeeringly saluted him with the royall acclamation of, Haile King of the Jewes.
They gave unto him (according as they were wont to doe unto condemned malefactors) a potion of sharpe wine mixed with myrrhe,34 They gave him vineger to drinke, mingled with gall; and when hee had tasted thereof, hee would not drinke. and other bitter compositions; which he tasted of, but would not drinke.
All sorts were ready to cast their taunting,44 The theeves also which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth. and opprobious speeches upon him; not onelyonly the Scribes and the Priests, and the multitude, but even the very theeves had their mouthes open against him; for, one of those theeves that was crucified with him, scornefully upbraided his passion to him.
Now,45 Now from the sixt houre, there was darkenesse over all the land unto the ninth houre. from twelve of the clocke untill three in the after-noone, there was a darkenesse over all the land. God, by this, purposing to shew unto the world by this unusuall change of the course of nature, that there was a violence offered to the God of nature, which hee abhorred; and the delinquents had cause to be stricken with remorse for:
And, about three of the clocke in the after-noone,46 And about the ninth houre, Iesus cried with a loud voice, saying; Eli, Eli, Lammasabachthani; that is to say, My God, my God, why why hast thou forsaken me? Jesus cried out with a loud voyce, in the words of the Prophet David, (his true and ancient type) My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? which he did in a deepe sense of his Fathers wrath unto mankinde, in whose stead he now under-went that which was due for the sinnes of the whole world: whiles he said (Why hast thou forsaken mee) implying that God had, for the time, withdrawne from him the sense and vision of his comfortable prefence; and whiles he said, My God, implying the strength of his faith, whereby he did firmely apprehend the sure and gracious aid of his eternall Father.
47 Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said; this man calleth for Elias.Some of them that stood there when they heard him say Eloi, whether mistaking the likenesse of the word, or whether wilfully scorning him in this passionate expression of his griefe, said; This man calleth for Elias, &c.
51 And the vaile of the Temple was rent in twaine from the top to the bottome: and the earth did quake, & the rockes rent.And behold, that the Jewes might now understand, that by the death of this Sonne of God, all the Mosaicall ceremonies, and rites were at a full end; the vaile of the Temple, which was before the holy of holies, rent in peeces, from the top to the bottome; and that they might see the God of heaven and earth suffered under their hands, as the heavens testified their interest in him by subduing their light, so did the earth by the quaking, and agitation thereof, and by the rending of her rocks.
52 And the graves were opened, and many bodies of Saints, which slept arose.Yea, the very graves were opened, and many bodies of the Saints which had long lien therein, now by the almightie power of their dying Saviour, arose.
53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy City, and appeared unto many.And came out of their graves, to attend him, who was the first fruits of the dead; the Author of the happy resurrection of his chosen; and therefore upon the resurrection of this Sonne of God, the Lord of life, they arose, and went into the City of Jerusalem, and shewed themselves to many, whom they had beene formerly knowne unto.
54 Now when the Centurion, and they that were with him watching Iesus, saw the earth-quake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying; truely, this was the Sonne of God.Now, when the Centurion, (though a meere heathen) and the Roman souldiers that were with him, saw the darkenesse and the earth-quake, and the manner of Christs death, his patience, his mercy, his voluntary and sweet expiration, they were stricken with great feare, saying, This Jesus was put to death as upon pretence of blasphemie, for that he gave out himselfe for the Sonne of God: but all these things plainly shew that hee said nothing but truth, of himselfe: doubtlesse hee was no other than that he said of himselfe, the Sonne of God.
56 Among which was Mary Magdalene, & Mary the mother of Iames, and Ioses, and the mother of Zebedees children.This while, there was no newes of his Disciples, they (except John onelyonly) had withdrawne themselves; but many women, who had beene very ready to attend Christ, and to minister unto him, in his journey from Galilee to Jerusalem, stood within sight, though not very neare to his crosse; sadly beholding all that was done unto him.
Now there was Mary Magdalen,16 And there was Mary Magdalen, and the other Mary sitting over against the sepulcher. and that other Mary the mother of James, sitting over against the sepulcher, that they might take good view of the place where Jesus was laid, purposing to bring sweet odors (when the Sabbath was over) for the perfuming and embalming of his body.
Now the next day that followed the preparation day, being both the Sabbath day,62 Now the next day that followed the day of the preparation, the chiefe Priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate. and the day of the Passover, the chiefe Priests (now not regarding the sacred solemnity thereof, out of their malice to Christ) came together to the Roman governour, Pilate.
Yee have a guard of souldiers which out of the towre of Antonia, are designed to this service, goe your way;65 Pilate said unto them, yee have a watch. set sure watch upon the sepulcher, &c.
CAP. XXVIII.
IN the night after the Sabbath, when it was dawning,1 In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawne, towards the first day of the weeke. towards the morning of the first day of the weeke &c.
All power is given to me both in heaven and earth,18 All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. as Mediator betwixt God and man: neither is this power at this time conveyed unto mee, which before I had not: but now, by this my glorious and triumphant resurrection it is manifested to you and the world, that I am invested with this power.
By vertue whereof,19 Goe yee therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Ghost. I give you my Apostles commission, and charge, to goe teach all nations of the world; adding to your doctrine the seale of holy Baptisme; whereby ye shall initiate all beleevers into my Church; Baptizing them, as by calling upon the name of God the Father, the Sonne, and the holy Ghost; one in essence, three in distinction of persons; so in the authority of the same one God; and into the profession of the faith, and religion of that one God distinguished by those three coeternall, and coequall persons, blessed for ever.
And lo,20 And loe I am with you alwayes, even unto the end of the world, Amen. howsoever my bodily presence shall be subduced from you, yet in my spirit and infinite deitie, I will be ever present with you, to protect and blesse you, and my whole Church to the end of the world.