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it was the third hour, when they crucified JESUS CHRIST, with St. John, who says that it was about the sixth hour. This may be done several ways. Besides the method which we have followed in our notes on those two evangelists, it may be said that by crucifying, St. Mark did not mean the nailing of CHRIST to the cross, for according to St. Luke", it was not till the sixth hour, that is, noon, but only all the preparations towards it, after sentence had passed upon him. We must here observe, that in several Greek manuscripts of the gospel according to St. John, the third is read instead of the sixth hour, as we have observed in our note on that place.

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The Jews divided also their nights into four parts, which they called watches*. The 1st was named the evening; the 2d the middle-watch, or midnight; the 3d the cock-crowing, from midnight till three in the morning; the 4th, the morning, or break of day. As the evangelists, in the account which they have given of St. Peter denying our Saviour often mention the cock-crowing and with some seeming contradiction, it will be proper to give a full explanation of this point, which could not conveniently be done within the compass of a few short notes. The difficulty lies in this, that JESUS CHRIST is said in St. Mark', to have told Peter that before the cock crowed twice, he would deny him thrice. And indeed the same evangelist relates, that the cock crowed after Peter's first denial; and again after he had denied his master the third time. Whereas, according to the rest of the evangelists, the cock did not crow till Peter had denied CHRIST three times. To solve this difficulty, we have observed in our note on that place, that as the cock crows at several

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times, the meaning of St. Matthew, St. Luke and St. John is, that before the cock had done crowing, St. Peter denied his divine master three times. But to be a little more particular upon this point; it is to be observed further, 1. That the cock commonly crows twice every night, viz. at midnight, and between that and break of day. This second crowing is properly called the cock-crowing. It may therefore be supposed that St. Peter having denied JESUS CHRIST the. first time, about midnight, the cock crowed; and that after he had denied him the third time, the cock crowed again. This explains St. Mark's meaning. As for what is said by the other evangelists, that the cock crowed after Peter had denied him three times, it must be understood of the second crowing, which is properly the cock-crowing. Or else, 2. that word of St. Mark which hath been translated twice, may be rendered the second time', by which means the whole difficulty will vanish and after all, it is of no great consequence. We have but one observation more to make concerning the years and months, &c. of the Hebrews. And that is, that in their language any part of a year, a month, a week, a day, or an hour, is often taken for a whole year, month, week, day, and hour. Which serves to explain what was said by JESUS CHRIST, that he would rise again the third day, as we have observed on Matt. xii. 40.

Of festivals.

Festivals are solemn days set apart for the honour and service of God, either in remembrance of some special mercies which have been received from his bountiful hand, or in memory of some punishments which he hath inflicted on mankind, or else to turn away those which hang over their heads. Those of the first kind were attended with rejoicings, feastings, hymns, concerts of music, eucharistical sacrifices, and a joyful and innocent exemption from labour *.

(1) Mark xiv. 30. dig.

* This distinguishes the feasts that were instituted by God, from those of the heathens, which were accompanied with very criminal occupations.

Upon which account they were termed sabbaths. Those of the second and third sort; were days of fasting and atonement. We learn from profane history, that the institution of festivals is of very ancient date “. But the sacred writers make no mention of the festivals of the Hebrews, before their coming out of Egypt. It was undoubtedly there the Israelites learned to have a liking and inclination for festivals, as is evident from their rejoicings when they worshipped the golden calf". And it was with a design to turn them from the idolatrous practices that reigned in the heathen festivals, that God, out of a condescension suitable to his wisdom and goodness, appointed some in his own honour, with such ceremonies and circumstances, as distinguished them from the festivals of idolatrous nations".

The Jews had several sorts of Feasts, whereof some were more solemn than others. They were either of divine or human institution. To begin with the first: The most solemn of those that had been established by God, were the passover, the pentecost, and the feast of the tabernacles. These three festivals were to be celebrated every year at Jerusalem, and all the Israelites were obliged to go thither, unless they had very good reasons for absenting themselves. Some lasted but one day, others continued a whole week. The latter had some days less solemn than the rest; as those, for instance, that were between the first and the last, when the feast lasted seven days. And therefore it is said in St. John, that about the middle of the feast of tabernacles JESUS went up into the temple and taught, because he could not do it sooner for the crowd. holiest days were called the great or the good days. Accordingly St. John calls the last day of the feast of tabernacles, the great day, that is, the most solemn,

(u) Herodot. 1. iii. c. 58. (w) Exod. xxxii. 5, 6. Past. p. 297. Theod. in Deut. (y) John vii. 14.

The

Euseb. præpar. Evang. 1. i. c. 9, 70. (a) Chrysostom. t. vi. de Chr. Erot. 1. and Qu. in Exod. 54. (z) Ibid. ver. 37.

as we have rendered it. During these festivals, that part of the sacrifices which was to be eat, and the shewbread, was divided among the four and twenty courses of priests. Criminals were also kept till these solemn occasions, that their punishment might be a terror to others. The Jews however were not willing to put JESUS CHRIST to death during the feast, because they were afraid this would cause some disturbance among the people, who took him for the Messiah, or at least for a great prophet. Which course soever they took, they must needs have acted against their consciences; for if he was not an impostor, as undoubtedly they did not look upon him as one, they ought not to have put him to death, either before, or after the feast. And if he was an impostor, they should have put him to death during the feast, according to the law. Providence ordered it so, that he should suffer death at the time he did, because, since as he was the true paschal lamb, or our passover, to use St. Paul's expression", it was necessary that he should die at that very juncture of time. As there came up to Jerusalem vast numbers of people at these festivals, the Roman governors were wont to give the Jews a garrison of Roman soldiers, to prevent any seditions, or disturbances among the people '.

Of the pass

over.

It is well known that the passover was so named from the angel's passing over the houses of the Israelites, and sparing their firstborn when those of the Egyptians were put to death *. The name of passover was also given to the lamb, that was killed on the first day of this feast. Hence these expressions, to eat the passover, to sacri

(a) 1 Cor. v. 7.

(b) Matt. xxvii. 65.

* Exod. xii. 12, 13. The Hebrew verb, from whence the word passover is derived, doth not only signify to pass from one place to another, but also to pass over, to spare, to pass without doing any harm ; and therefore the seventy have rendered it by a word that signifies to protect. (c) Ezra vi. 20. Matt. xxvi. 17. (d) Mark xiv. 12, 14.

fice the passover: and hence also it is that St. Paul calls JESUS CHRIST our PASSOVER, that is, our paschal lamb. The passover was otherwise named the feast of unleavened bread, because it was unlawful to eat any other sort of bread, during the seven days the feast lasted". This name however more particularly belongs to the second day of the feast, i. e. the fifteenth of the month. We have an account of all the ceremonies belonging to the passover in several places of the pentateuch. They may be reduced to these three heads. 1. The killing and eating of the paschal lamb. 2. The eating the unleavened bread. And, 3. Offering up to God the omer, or handful of barley.

The chief things to be observed with relation to the paschal lamb or kid, are as follow. 1. It is to be noted, that on all the feasts", and particularly at the passover, there were great numbers of victims slain from among the cattle, as bulls, and the like*. The paschal feast began by serving up of the flesh of these sacrifices, after which the lamb was eaten. The first was what the guests were to sup upon, for the lamb was symbolical, and it was sufficient for any one to eat of it about the bigness of an olive, if they were satisfied before, or in case the lamb was not enough for every one. 2. This lamb was a representation of that which the Israelites had eaten in Egypt, and was called the body of the passover, to distinguish that part of the paschal lamb which was eaten, from what was offered upon the altar; that is, the blood which was sprinkled, and the entrails that were burnt. JESUS CHRIST manifestly alluded to this expression, when he said of the bread, this is my body; as if he had said, this is not the body of the

(e) 1 Cor. v. 7.
(h) Exod. xii. 18.
(i) Lev. xxiii. 6.
(k) Deut. xvii.
These the Jews

(ƒ) Ibid. (g) Luke xxii. 1. Mark xiv. 12. Numb. xxviii. 17. Deut. xvi. 8.

Mark xiv. 1. Jos. Antiq. 1. iii. cap. 10. 2 Chron. xxxv.

termed chagiga, i. e. rejoicing.

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