The harmony of the Gospels, in the holy history of the humiliation and sufferings…

2. The time that this act of death was done unto our Lord Jesus, in giving him the cup of death, was at the beginning of the sixth hour, Mark. 15.25 saith it was the third hour, but that maketh no difficulty, it is easily reconciled, for at the ⟨p. 110⟩end of the third hour, the sixth hour began, and that lasted till the ninth hour; so the Jews, they divided the time of the day. And that Mark so intended, appeareth, because at this very instant when they give the cup of death unto Jesus Christ, the Sun blushed, and hid his face under a black veil of darkness, as being ashamed to look upon this abominable act, that these wicked men were about; and the exact time of the beginning of this darkness is expressly said to be at the beginning of the sixth hour, Math. 27, 45. Mark 15.33. This darkening of the Sun was a divine and miraculous Testimony from God against this wicked fast, which one would think might have terrified them from proceeding, but seared Consciences feel nothing. This darkness was not an Eclipse of the Sun, by the interposition of the Moon, because it was the middle of the Month, and the Moon was about the Full. Again, it was not a natural Eclipse, because this darkness lasted three hours, which never any natural Eclipse did, or can do. Besides, Eclipses are unperceivable at the beginning and end, but this darkness began as it seemeth to me in its height and so continued at the same height, from the beginning to the end. When they began, and gave Jesus Christ the Cup of death, it grew suddenly dark, and about the time that Jesus Christ dyed it was light again, both the periods of the darkness were eminently observable. It was not a total darkness as night is, by the absence of the Sun, for it is said, Joh. 29.20. many did read the superscription upon the Cross of Jesus Christ. Also Jesus saw his mother and the Disciple whom Jesus loved standing by her, Joh. 19.26. and Jesus saw the Soldiers dividing his garments, and casting lots on his vesture, as the Prophesy intimateth, Psal. 22.18. It was an extraordinary and amazing darkness, to reprehend their violent, cruel, and bloody act, which they were doing, in laying hands upon the spotless Lamb of God; it was the hour and power of darkness wherein the Prince of darkness had got down the Lord of glory under his merciless hands. It was an universal darkness;