6. They crucified him, (i.e.) they fastened him on the Cross; and then lift him up.1 A great question there is amongst the Learned, whether Christ was fastened on the cross after it was erected, or whiles it was lying on the ground? I would not rake too much into these niceties, only more probable it is that he was fastened to it whiles it lay flat on the ground, and then as Moses lifted up the Serpent in the Wilderness, so was the Son of man lifted up. We may express the manner of their acting, and his sufferings now,2 as a learned Brother hath done before us; Now come the Barbarous inhumane hangmen, 3and begin to unloose his hands, but how? alas 'tis not to any liberty, but to worse bonds of nails: then stripped they off his gore-glued clothes, and with them questionless not a little of his mangled skin and flesh, as if it were not enough to crucify him as a thief, unless they flea him too as a beast; then stretch they him out as another Isaac on his own burden, the Cross; that so they might take measure of the holes, and though the print of his blood on it gave them his true length, yet how strictly do they take it longer, than the truth? thereby at once both to crucify and rack him? that he was thus stretched and racked upon his cross, 4David gives more than probable intimation, I may tell all my bones; and again, all my bones are out of joint; which otherwise how could it so well be as by such a violent stretching and distortion? whereby it seems they had made him a living anatomy; nor was it in the less sensible, fleshly parts of his body, that they drive these their larger tenters, whereon his whole weight must hang; but in the hands and feet, the most sinewy, and consequently the most sensible fleshly parts of all other; wherein how rudely and painfully they handle him, appears too by that of David, they digged my hands and my feet, they made wide holes like that of a spade, as if they had been digging in some ditch: the boisterous and unusual greatness of these nails we have from venerable antiquity; Constantine the great is said to have made of them both an Helmet and a Bridle—How should I write on, but that my tears should blot out what I write, 5when it is no other than he that is thus used who hath blotted out that hand-writing of ordinances that was against me?
6. They crucified him, (i.e.) they fastened him on the Cross; and then lift him up.1 A great question there is amongst the Learned, whether Christ was fastened on the cross after it was erected, or whiles it was lying on the ground? I would not rake too much into these niceties, only more probable it is that he was fastened to it whiles it lay flat on the ground, and then as Moses lifted up the Serpent in the Wilderness, so was the Son of man lifted up. We may express the manner of their acting, and his sufferings now,2 as a learned Brother hath done before us; Now come the Barbarous inhumane hangmen, 3and begin to unloose his hands, but how? alas 'tis not to any liberty, but to worse bonds of nails: then stript they off his gore-glewed cloaths, and with them questionless not a little of his mangled skin and flesh, as if it were not enough to crucifie him as a thief, unless they flea him too as a beast; then stretch they him out as another Isaac on his own burthen, the Cross; that so they might take measure of the holes, and though the print of his blood on it gave them his true length, yet how strictly do they take it longer, than the truth? thereby at once both to crucifie and rack him? that he was thus stretcht and racked upon his cross, 4David gives more than probable intimation, I may tell all my bones; and again, all my bones are out of joynt; which otherwise how could it so well be as by such a violent stretching and distortion? whereby it seems they had made him a living anatomy; nor was it in the less sensible, fleshly parts of his body, that they drive these their larger tenters, whereon his whole weight must hang; but in the hands and feet, the most sinewy, and consequently the most sensible fleshly parts of all other; wherein how rudely and painfully they handle him, appears too by that of David, they digged my hands and my feet, they made wide holes like that of a spade, as if they had been digging in some ditch: the boystrous and unusual greatness of these nails we have from venerable antiquity; Constantine the great is said to have made of them both an Helmet and a Bridle—How should I write on, but that my tears should blot out what I write, 5when it is no other than he that is thus used who hath blotted out that hand-writing of ordinances that was against me?
- 1Mat. 27.35.
- 2John. 3.14.
- 3Herle contem. plot. on Christs pass.Herle contem. plat. on Christs pass.
- 4Psal. 22.17. Ver. 14.
- 5Colos. 2.14.
