Nicodemus speaks. NICODEMUS. A Jew cured by Christ. 12 Then another certain Jew rose up, and desired leave of the governor to hear him a few words. 13 And the governor said Speak what thou hast a mind. 4 He is a man who hath wrought | I will receive his doctrine, and my many useful and glorious mira- lot with him, as ye have said. cles, such as ho man on earth ever wrought before, nor will ever work. Let him go, and do him no harm; if he cometh from God, his miracles, (his miraculous cures) will continue; but if from men, they will come to nought." 5 Thus Moses, when he was sent by God into Egypt, wrought the miracles which God commanded him, before Pharaoh king of Egypt; and though the magicians of that country, Jannes and Jambres, wrought by their magic the same miracles which Moses did, yet they could not work all which he did; 6 And the miracles which the magicians wrought, were not of God, as ye know, O Scribes and Pharisees; but they who wrought them perished, and all who believed them. 7 And now let this man go; because the very miracles for which ye accuse him, are from God; and he is not worthy of death. 8 The Jews then said to Nicodemus, Art thou become his disciple, and making speeches in his favour? 9 Nicodemus said to them, Is the governor become his disciple also, and does he make speeches for him? Did not Cæsar place him in that high post? 10 When the Jews heard this they trembled, and gnashed their teeth at Nicodemus, and said to him, Mayest thou receive his doctrine for truth, and have thy lot with Christ! 11 Nicodemus replied, Amen; 'John iii. 2. 14 And ye said, I lay for thirtyeight years by the sheep-pool at Jerusalem, labouring under a great infirmity, and waiting for a cure which should be wrought by the coming of an angel, who at a certain time troubled the water; and whosoever first after the troubling of the water stepped in, was made whole of whatsoever disease he had. 15 And when Jesus saw me languishing there, he said to me, Wilt thou be made whole? And answered, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool. 16 And he said unto me, Rise, take up thy bed and walk. And was immediately made whole, and took up my bed and walked.' 17 The Jews then said to l'ilate, Our Lord Governor, pray ask him what day it was on which he was cured of his infirmity. 18 The infirm person replied, It was on the sabbath. 19 The Jews said to Pilate, Did we not say that he wrought his cures on the sabbath, and cast out devils by the prince of devils? 20 Then another certain' Jew came forth, and said, I was blind, could hear sounds, but could not see any one; and as Jesus was going along, I heard the multitude passing by, and I asked what was there? 21 They told me that Jesus was passing by: then I cried out ? Acts v. 38. 'These are mentioned also as the names of the magicians, 2 Tim. iii. 8. *Exod. viii. 18, &c. 5 Acts v. 35. An allusion to Gamaliel's speech. 6 John v. 1, 2. &c. 7 Mark x. 46. with Veronica and others, NICODEMUS. testify of his miracles. saying, Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me. And he stood still, and commanded that I should be brought to him, and said to me, What wilt thou? teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum; and there was in the synagogue a certain man who had a devil; and he cried out, saying, let me alone; what have we to 22 I said, Lord, that I may re-do with thee, Jesus of Nazareth ↑ ceive my sight. Art thou come to destroy us? I know that thou art the Holy One of God. 23 He said to me, Receive thy sight and presently I saw, and followed him, rejoicing and giving thanks. 24 Another Jew also came forth, and said, 'I was a leper, and he cured me by his word only, saying, I will, be thou clean; and presently I was cleansed from my leprosy. 25 And another Jew came forth, and said, I was crooked, and he made me straight by his word. 4 28 And, after other things, another Jew said, I saw Jesus invited to a wedding with his disciples, and there was a want of wine in Cana of Galilee ; 29 And when the wine was all drank, he commanded the servants that they should fill six pots which were there with water, and they filled them up to the brim, and he blessed them, and turned the water into wine, and all the people drank, being surprised at this miracle. 30 And another Jew stood forth, and said, I saw Jesus 1 Matt. viii. 11, &c. 31 And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, unclean spirit, and come out of the man; and presently he came out of him, and did not at all hurt him. 32 The following things were also said by a Pharisee; I saw that a great company came to Jesus from Galilee and Judæa, and the sea-coast, and many countries about Jordan and many infirm persons came to him, and he healed them all." 33 And I heard the unclean spirits crying out, and saying,' Thou art the Son of God. And Jesus strictly charged them, that they should not make him known. 34 ¶ After this another person, whose name was Centurio, said,' I saw Jesus in Capernaum, and I entreated him, saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy. 35 And Jesus said to me, 1 will come and cure him. 36 But I said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldst come under my roof; but only speak the word, and my servant shall be healed. 37 And Jesus said unto me, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And my servant was healed from that same hour. Luke xiii. 11, &c. 3 Matt. ix. 20, &c. See concerning this woman called Veronica, on whom this miracle was performed, and the statue which she erected to the honour of Christ, in Euseb. Hist. Eccl. 1. 7. c. 18. * John ii. 1, &c. "Mark iii. 11. 5 Luke iv. 33, &c 6 Matt. v. 23. Matt. viii. 5. &c. Christ's miracles witnessed. NICODEMUS. 38 Then a certain nobleman said, I had a son in Capernaum, who lay at the point of death; and when I heard that Jesus was come into Galilee, I went and besought him that he would come down to my house, and heal my son, for he was at the point of death. 39 He said to me, Go thy way, thy son liveth. 40 And my son was cured from that hour. 41 Besides these, also many others of the Jews, both men and women, cried out and said, He is truly the Son of God, who cures all diseases only by his word, and to whom the devils are altogether subject. 42 Some of them farther said. This power can proceed from none but God. 43 Pilate said to the Jews, Why are not the devils subject to your doctors? 44 Some of them said, The power of subjecting devils cannot proceed but from God. 1 45 But others said to Pilate, That he had raised Lazarus from the dead, after he had been four days in his grave. 46 The governer hearing this, trembling said to the multitude of the Jews, What will it profit you to shed innocent blood? CHAP. VI. 1 Pilate dismayed by the turbulence of THE John xi. 1, &c His death demanded. was not born through fornication said to them, What shall I do, seeing there is like to be a tumult among the people.' 2 They said unto him, We know not; let them look to it who raise the tumult. 3 Pilate then called the multitude again, and said to them, Ye know that ye have a custom, that I should release to you one prisoner at the feast of the passover; 4 I have a noted prisoner, a murderer, who is called Barabbas, and Jesus who is called Christ, in whom I find nothing that deserves death; which of them therefore have you a mind that I should release to you 5 They all cry out, and say, Release to us Barabbas. 6 Pilate saith to them, What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ? 7 They all answer, Let him be crucified. 8 Again they cry out and say to Pilate, You are not the friend of Cæsar, if you release this man; for he hath declared that he is the Son of God, and a king. But are you inclined that he should be king, and not Cæsar? 9 Then Pilate filled with anger said to them, Your nation hath always been seditious, and you are always against those who have been serviceable to you. 10 The Jews replied, Who are those who have been serviceable to us? 11 Pilate answered them, Your God who delivered you from the hard bondage of the Egyptians, and brought you over the Red Sea as though it had been dry land, and fed you in the wilderness with manna and the flesh of quails, Matt. xxvii. 24. John xix. 12. Matt. xxvii. 21, by the Jews, and NICODEMUS. and brought water out of the rock, and gave you a law from heaven 12 Ye provoked him all ways, and desired for yourselves a molten calf, and worshipped it, and sacrified to it, and said, These are Thy Gods, O Israel, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt! 13 On account of which your God was inclined to destroy you; but Moses interceded for you, and your God heard him, and forgave your iniquity. 14 Afterwards ye were enraged against, and would have killed your prophets, Moses and Aaron. when they fled to the tabernacle, and ye were always murmuring against God and his prophets. 15 And arising from his judgment seat, he would have gone out; but the Jews all cried out, We acknowledge Cæsar to be king, and not Jesus. 16 Whereas this person, soon as he was born, the wise men came and offered gifts unto him ; which when Herod heard, he was exceedingly troubled, and would have killed him. 17 When his father knew this, he fled with him and his mother Mary into Egypt. Herod, when he heard he was born, would have slain him; and accordingly sent and slew all the children which were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under.1 18 When Pilate heard this account, he was afraid; and commanding silence among the people, who made a noise, he said to Jesus, Art thou therefore a king 19 All the Jews replied to Pilate, he is the very person whom Herod sought to have slain. 1 Matt. ii. ordered by Pilate. 20 Then Pilate taking water, washed his hands before the peo ple and said, I am innocent of the blood of this just person ; look ye to it." 21 The Jews answered and said, IIis blood be upon us and our children. 22 Then Pilate commanded Jesus to be brought before him, and spake to him in the following words; 23 Thy own nation hath charged thee as making thyself a king; wherefore I, Pilate, sentence thee to be whipped according to the laws of former governors; and that thou be first bound, then hanged upon a cross in that place where thou art now a prisoner; and also two criminals with thee, whose names are Dimas and Gestas. CHAP. VII. 2 And when they came to the place which is called Golgotha,' they stript him of his raiment, and girt him about with a linen cloth, and put a crown of thorns upon his head, and put a reed in his hand. 3 And in like manner did they to the two thieves who were crucified with him, Dimas on his right hand and Gestas on his left. 4 But Jesus said, My Father, forgive them; For they know not what they do. 5 And they divided his garments, and upon his vesture they cast lots. 6 The people in the mean time stood by, and the chief priests and elders of the Jews mocked Matt. xxvii. 33. Matt. xxvii. 24, &c. Christ's crucifixion NICODEMUS. him, saying, le saved others, let him now save himself if he can; if he be the son of God, let him now come down from the cross. 7 The soldiers also mocked him, and taking vinegar and gall, offered it to him to drink, and said to him, If thou art king of the Jews deliver thyself. Then Longinus, a certain soldier, taking a spear,' pierced his side, and presently there came forth blood and water. 9 And Pilate wrote the title upon the cross in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek letters, viz. This is the king of the Jews. १ 10 But one of the two thieves who were crucified with Jesus, whose name was Gestas, said to Jesus, If thou art the Christ, deliver thyself and us. 11 But the thief who was crucified on his right hand, whose name was Dimas, answering, rebuked him, and said, Dost not thou fear God, who art condemned to this punishment? We indeed receive rightly and justly the demerit of our actions; but this Jesus, what evil hath he done? 12 After this, groaning, he said to Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. 13 Jesus answering, said to him, Verily I say unto thee, that this day thou shalt be with me in Paradise. CHAP. VIII. 1 Miraculous appearance at his death. 10 The Jews. say the eclipse was natural. 12 Joseph of Arimathieu embalms Christ's body and buries it. ND it was about the sixth attended by miracles. the face of the whole earth until the ninth hour. 2 And while the sun was eclipsed, behold the vail of the temple was rent from the top to the bottom; and the rocks also were rent, and the graves opened, and many bodies of saints, which slept, arose. 3 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, Hely, Hely, lama zabacthani? which being interpreted, is, My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me? 4 And after these things, Jesus said, Father, into thy hands 1 commend my spirit; and having said this, he gave up the ghost. 5 But when the centurion saw that Jesus thus crying out gave up the ghost, he glorified God, and said, Of a truth this was a just man. 6 And all the people who stood by, were exceedingly troubled at the sight; and reflecting upon what had passed, smote upon their breasts, and then returned to the city of Jerusalem. 7 The centurion went to the governor, and related to him all that had passed; 8 And when he had heard all these things, he was exceeding sorrowful; 9 And calling the Jews together, said to them, Have ye seen the miracle of the sun's eclipse, and the other things which came to pass, while Jesus was dying? 10 Whch when the Jews heard, they answered to the governor, The eclipse of the sun happened according to its usual custom. 11 But all those who were the A hour, and darkness was upon acquaintance of Christ, stood at a 'John xix. 34. John xix. 19. 3 Matt. xxvii. 45, &c. |