Luke 23

If the soul be at death absent from the body (2 Corinthians 5:8), then it cannot sleep in the body. There is an immediate passage from death to Glory: It is but winking and we shall see God (Luke 23:43). This day shall you be with me in Paradise; by Paradise is meant Heaven, the…

Well, says Paul, Christ is preached, and God is likely to have glory, therefore I rejoice; let my candle go out, if the Sun of Righteousness may but shine. 2. We glorify God by an ingenuous confession of sin: the thief on the cross had dishonored God in his life, but at his deat…

If God be our Father we may with comfort at the day of death resign our souls into his hands. So did Christ; (Luke 23:46) Father into your hands I commend my Spirit. If a child has any jewel, he will in time of danger put it into his father's hands, where he thinks it will be ke…

And but for purposing to gather it, God was very angry (Exodus 16:27-28): "There went out some of the people on the seventh day to gather, and they found none, and the Lord said, How long do you refuse to keep my commandments and my laws?" Surely the anointing of Christ when he…

He knew that out of envy the Jews had delivered him (Matthew 27:18). He confessed he found no fault with him (Luke 23:14). And his own wife sent to him, "Have nothing to do with that just man" (Matthew 27:19).

Saint Ambrose gives the reason, David had a good hope; in fact, assurance that the child was translated into Heaven; but he doubted of Absalom, he died in his sins, therefore David wept so for him, O Absalom, my son, my son; but though we are to weep to think any of our flesh sh…

We are corrected in the world, that we may not be condemned with the world. A man by falling into the briars is saved from falling into the river: God lets us fall into the briars of affliction that we may not drown in perdition: it is a great favor when a lesser punishment is i…

And in his execution, we shall have manifest declarations of his righteousness and justice, consisting in two most worthy points. First, when he was upon the cross, and the soldiers were nailing his hands and feet to it, and racking his body most cruelly, he prayed (Luke 23:34),…

But blessed be God, this great heart-establishing truth is evidently revealed in Scripture. Luke 23:43; you have Christ's promise — John 14:3: 'I will come and receive you to myself.' O what a change will a few moments make upon your condition!

At death you know it is that when men's bodies are destroyed, and so the season when their souls to be separated therefrom should be committed to God's care; as our Darling (as our Translation) or lovely soul, when separate (as others) as Christ in David speaks (Psalm 22). And P…

The fourth and last article, or part of the condition required of the Mediator, is, He made intercession for the transgressors; there was more required of him than to die, and to die such a death for the Elect's sins; He must also make application of his death; and he will do th…

4. In his death, God was in singular manner glorified. When the centurion (Luke 23:49) saw what was done, he glorified God. The repenting thief preached him on the cross to be a King: and this was a glorifying of Christ in his greatest abasement and shame.

No man whatever mettle he be of, the finest of men can come, or has power to come to me, and to believe on the only begotten Son of God, except the Father who sent me draw him. We know Christ was much to extol his Father, his Father was ever in his esteem an eminent one, as (Mat…

The other ground of our answer to all the places on the contrary, is that the word [Greek text], and [Greek text]; Christ died for all: does never signify all and every one of mankind, by neither Scripture, nor the doctrine of adversaries: but is as all Divines say, to be expoun…

And Jeremiah speaks to the same purpose (Jeremiah 13:17): My soul shall mourn and weep in secret for you. And the pattern of our Savior is without exception (Luke 23:34) — happy was he that could do him a mischief, and all men cried out away with him, crucify him, crucify him, s…

It further makes a man to yield of his right, and not to prosecute the matter in rigor, and extremity, and so it is opposed to severity (1 Corinthians 4:21): Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love, and the Spirit of meekness? Hence arises another property; it bridles the ton…

Now the severity of God's vengeance is therein manifested, namely, that the wicked chose rather to be swallowed up into the deepest gulfs that may be, than to come near into his sight. From this place it seems that Christ borrowed that with which he threatens the Jews; in that d…

And this is the cause why Matthew attributes that to the sign, which agrees to the thing signified. In the second member the Prophet shows the greatness of this people's ingratitude and perversity, in that they did not see the cause why Christ was thus far humbled and afflicted,…

“when the punishment, as in the case of excommunication, is not to death.” there is room allowed for repentance; as if the thief on the cross (Luke 23:42) did not find the means of salvation. I shall satisfy myself with replying, that Christ does not now speak of the office of p…

1. And immediately on the break of day, the chief priests, with the elders and scribes, and the whole council, after having deliberated, led Jesus away bound and delivered him to Pilate. Luke 23:1 1. And the whole multitude of them arose, and led him away to Pilate.

5. But Jesus again answered nothing, so that the governor wondered. Luke 23:2-12 2. And they began to accuse him saying, We have found this man subverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying, that he is the Christ, a King.

And they cried out the more vehemently, Crucify him. Luke 23:13-23 13. And Pilate, having assembled the chief priests, and magistrates, and the people,

21. And they compelled the one Simon, a Cyrenian, who was passing by, who was coming from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross. Luke 23:24-32 24. And Pilate decided that what they demanded should be done.

And he was ranked with malefactors. Luke 23:33-34, 38 33. Having come to the place which is called Calvary,

And they that were crucified with him upbraided him. Luke 23:35-37, 39-43 35. And the people stood gazing, and the rulers along with them mocked him, saying, He saved others, let him save himself, if he is the Christ, the elect of God.

41. (Who also, when he was in Galilee, had followed him, and ministered to him,) and many others, who had also gone up with him to Jerusalem. Luke 23:44-49 44. Now it was about the sixth hour; and there was darkness over all the land "Par toute la terre, on, tout le pays;" — "th…

47. And Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of Joses, saw where he was laid. Luke 23:50-56 50. And, lo, a man named Joseph, a counselor, a good and righteous man, 51. Who had not consented to their decision, and to their deed; a native of Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who also…

As in finite Substances it signifies the Rational Soul of Man, Psal. 31. 5. Into your hands I commend,[[original in non-Latin script]], that is my Soul; they are the words whereby our Saviour committed his departing Soul into the hands of his Father; Luk. 23. 46. [[original in n…

And yet then he was suffering, shedding his blood, and pouring out his soul to death, for them. Yes, he probably was then shedding his blood for some of them that shed his blood; he was dying for some that killed him; whom he prayed for, while they were crucifying him; and were…

At death the saints are engaged in the last, and one of the most eminent works of faith, even the committing themselves into the hands of God, when we are lanching forth into that vast Eternity, and entring into that new state which will make so great a change upon us in a momen…

Malice will say when a man does well, it is true he does it, but it is for vain glory, it is to be seen of men, it is for his own ends, it is for gain; but when a man does ill, love will say, this he has done through ignorance, or inadvertency, or violent temptations — love cove…

Peter, 2. 10. Yea, when hee was cruelly and vniustly crucified, he prayed for his persecutors, Luke 23. 34. Steuen also prayed for them that stoned him, Act. 7. 16. and Dauid, though a King, would not suffer reuenge to be taken on Shime[] that cursed him, 2.

The wise virgins tooke o[]le in their vessels to light their lamps when the bridegroome came. And Joseph of Arimathea, that noble counseller, who waited for the kingdome of God, was a good man and a just, Luk. 23. 50, 51. Thus we see the way to get this kingdome for our selues:…

Though works of necessity may be done, and works of charity (for God will have mercy, and not sacrifice), yet in other cases we must cease from all worldly negotiations. It is observable concerning Mary Magdalen that she refused to anoint Christ's dead body on the Sabbath day (L…

No appearance was there of a revengeful spirit: on the contrary, what a spirit of forgiveness did he exhibit! So that he fervently and effectually prayed for their forgiveness, when they were in the highest act of provocation that ever they perpetrated namely, nailing him to the…

They spoke against his person as mean and contemptible, and one that had no form, nor comeliness (Isaiah 53:2-3). They spoke against his preaching as false and deceiving (John 7:12), as factious and seditious (Luke 23:2), as senseless and ridiculous, for the Pharisees derided hi…

As mediator he received this peculiar command of his Father, that he should lay down his life and take it again, and he was obedient to it. Hence we say he who is mediator did some things merely as a man subject to the law of God in general — so he prayed for his persecutors, Lu…

And he gives us grace to repent, or else we could never humble ourselves at his feet, the offended God; he gives them the grace whereby they shall acknowledge the offence. Christ prayed for his persecutors, when they had no sense of the injury they had done him, they were conver…

As soon as the saints are loosed from the body, they are with Christ under his government. (Luke 23:43): This day you will be with me in Paradise. As soon as Christ died he was in Paradise, and there was the good thief with him.

4. When an account of my faith is demanded, and I am called forth to give testimony for Christ, especially by magistrates (Matthew 10:18), "You shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles": (1 Peter 3:15), "Be always rea…

His taste suffered, for they gave him (instead of strong drink and wine of consolation, which was usual to them ready to die (Proverbs 31:6)) instead of this they gave him vinegar and gall to drink. His sight suffered, and among other things, the sight of his mother, and other g…

[illegible] your brain is grown weak, not able to remember or [illegible] the things belonging to your peace, and when [illegible] is grown [illegible] weak it's not able to grapple with [illegible], when the days of sorrow and sickness are [illegible] upon you, and you say "I h…

It was the Jews' case: out of ignorance they chose Barabbas a murderer, and rejected the Lord of Life; they were violent to take away his blood, that came to take away their sins, and this out of ignorance. For so our Savior in his prayer, Father forgive them, they know not what…

For what he suffered, that he intended, [reconstructed: his] own end was most serious in his own intention; that he intended, he desired; that he [reconstructed: desired], he obtained: that he obtained not, he desired not, and that he intended not, therefore for that [reconstruc…

By all which it appears that the soul of a believer after death goes immediately to God. Luke 23:43: This day shall you be with me in paradise. The word 'with me' shows clearly that the thief on the cross was translated to heaven, for there Christ was (Ephesians 4:10).

There is bread enough in our Father's house, how should we long for home! Death carries a child of God to his Father's house; Saint Paul therefore desired to be dissolved; it is comfortable dying, when by faith we can resign up our souls into our Father's hands (Luke 23:46). Fat…

2. That is not to be accounted martyrdom, when we suffer for our offenses (1 Peter 4:15). Let none of you suffer as an evildoer (Luke 23:41). We indeed suffer justly.

The vine is a weak tree, it is born up and underpropped, but it is fruitful; it is made in Scripture the emblem of fruitfulness. The thief on the cross, when he was newly converted, he had but a weak faith; but how many precious clusters grew upon that vine! (Luke 23:40). He chi…

It is a doubt if Paul should be so pressed by a sentence of temporary death. Though there is a larger measure of faith, to bear up the soul under the New Testament: but it would appear there is more of hell now than under that dispensation, and that the Gospel despair of Judas a…

But first, it is not eternal in the positives of the second, and fourth, and fifth Commandments, the way of worship, the means, as Ceremonies, Sabbath, Magistracy, and such like, which are not to continue in the life to come, and so neither faith nor hope in God through Christ (…