The National tribune., 1888-05-24

. TLe pIree-
1. The Tine.

o'clock p. m. The darkness accompanying
the crucifXion lasted for three hours, begin
ming a midday.
2. The Place.
The spot of the crucifxion is known as Mount
Calvary. 1t is a mere swell of ground, and not
properly hill. The purpose TO which it was
devoted, TO wit. the execution of criminals,
would suggest some elevation as, e. E., III for
mer times there were at different points gal
lows hills" The more proper name Is Golgo-
tina Both words, Calvary and GolgOtha, mean
he place Of a skull 1t is said this name was
given either because the spot was skull shaped,
As hlllOck would be, or else skulls from former
executions were streWn on the ground. But
Jewish laws Of ceremonial cleanliness would
prevent bones remaining uncovered. The
place was west of Jerusalem, just outside the
walls, Heb, l3 49, near the city, tSt. John,
10 20,) not far from the sepulchTe In which
the body of Christ was deposited. lSt. John,
IS: Il, ~ Calvary and the sepulchre were so
near, that one structure might be supposed to
cover both We learn that Constantine and his
mother, Helena, built the Church Of the Holy
Sepulchre over the places of death and burial
Of our Savior. The crusaders also tried to give
permanent memorial features to the spot, so as
TO preserve the sacrcdness and fxcdness OF the
location. What they did in the way of build
ing still, to a goodly measure, survives and IS
visited by many.
3. The Victim.
Jesus, the Son of God, by human nature child
of Mary, our Savior, was cruCifed. Even the
Centurion having charge of the company of sol
diers who executed Christ, declared Certainly
this was a righteous man. [St. Luke, % A.
He took the place Of Barabbas. ST. Matt, p,
20,) Indeed, he took the place Of sinners. The
popularity of this execution was the fact the
victim was siness.
4. The CHARGE AGailst Christ
The Jews wanted a dciyerer from Roman
bondage, and tried IN every way to have Christ
undertake the work of resCUing his nation In
governmental sense. He came to earth to
help Us spiritually. He knew no national
lines Having settled it that they could not
induce Christ to seize on Davd's ancient
throne, they became utterly indignant and
maddened at him, and determined on his death.
he often spoke in a way which might be re-
garded from merely human standpoint as
blasphemy. Hence they brought that accuse
ton against him. and proved IL true as inter
preted by them. The Sanbedrim condemned
him, but the Jews did not then being under
Rome, have power to administer capital pun
ishment. They then trumped up q charge of
seditiOn against him, pretending to be great
friends Of the very government against which
they had urged him to take uD arms. By brlb
cry securing false evidence, they obtained sem
teuce Of death against him. The method of
execution was not Jewish,-to wit, the stouing
10 death of the viCtim,-but the Roman cruel
GxiOn.
5. Method Of Execution.
Christ was put to death on cross. Crucffx-
ion is traced back to the times OF Semiramis.
1t was inflicted by Romans only on grossest
criminals. Roman citizens were exempt by
law. Free persons, if guilty Of very heinous
and low crimes were at times put to death on
crosses. Slaves. highwaymen, rebels, outcasts,
on conviction of base and mean deeds, were
generally crUciied. The victim was forced TO
carry his cross from place Of condemnation to
that of execution scOurged stripped Of APP
parel nailed to the cross, which was afterward
elevated suffered 20 linger in great agony, at
times for several days, before death relieved
him. The MOhammedans yet practice the Gus
tom. Most Of the old nations more or less in
Eicted capital punishment thus. Alexander the
Great crucfed 10000 TyTians; Minutus Alex
ander 500 Jews. and Quintilius Farus, 2 600
Titus crucifed 500 in one day. At the sack Of
Jerusalem, under his command, the enemy
crucifed so many Jews that there was not room
for the crosses nor were there crosses enough
for victims. il is not so long ago that the
King Of Burnah crucifcd a man for renounc-
ing Buddhism and choosing Christianity.
The word cross Is from a Greek root which
means 10 fig, and hence our words stake and
stick. In the perpendicular Of the cross there
was sometimes a peg, on which the criminal sat,
and 70 an extent supported his body and kept
il from sagging. We read also Of little plat
forms on which the feet gained some support.
Hands and feet were tied or nailed to the cross.
Hands were at times nailed, while the feet were
tied.
So IN many cases death was accelerated by hunge
and thirst, the vci~siudes Of heat and cold the
attacks Of raveuOus birds and beasts and in olhcrs
oesguedly accelerated by burning, stOning, sufIo
cation, breaking the bones, or piercing the Vita
organs adam Clarke, Commentary on Matthew
/ Chap xvii, v. 81
/ Persons have been taken down from crosses
| and have survived the mutilatons. J0sephus
! tells us he saw a large number Of the enemy on
! crosses, and among them three intimate friends
/ Of his. He went to Titus and secured an order
! for them to be taken down and their wounds
4 carefully attended. Two Of them died. The
! great cause Of death is frequently starvation.
g. Stages IN Chrisfs Crpdf1ion.
l. He refused to drink any Supplying
I draught He wanted TO be wholly conscious
2 Hung between two thieves.
| B. lie said, referring perhaps specially to his
/ crucifers, Father forgive them; for they
know not what they do" His first words on
the cross.
/ 4. His accusation, printed in Hebrew, Greek
/ and Latin, was placarded above his cross.
5. Soldiers drew lots for his coat.
6. One thief rebuked the other for rcYiling
Christ, and Jesus said, Verify say unto thee
to-day shalt thou be with me in Paradise
His second words.
Z. Seeing his mother he assigned her to The
care Of St. John. saying, Woman, behold thy
son." and 20 ST. John, Behold thy mother
/ Ills third words.
G. Then came darkness, and Christ cried
out Ell, Eli, lama Sabachthani." His fourti
( words.
8. lie said, 4 thirst" His ffh words.
10 At about 3 o'clock he spoke his si1B
words, " II is finished"
il. His last words, the seUeati, were, Father
into thy hands ! commend my spirit"
Z. Cause Of Cdrists DEATH
William Stroud, NJ D., wrote an important
volume on this subject. His theory is tha
Christ died from rupture Of the heart caused
4 by intense mental, rather than physical, agony
lie did not die as a result Of crucifxon IL
gave up the ghost. lie died voluntarily (St
John, 10: 10 His SO sudden death was a rea
. surprise TO Plate. (St. Mark, l6:44l w,
have in mind not the theological cause 0
Christ's death, but simply the physical Chris
1 died 70 benefit sinners in various ways W,
can see more readily the metaphysical reason
for Jesus's death than the bodily. AS early a
100 A. D., Anthony Byuaeus advanced the ide
that Christ died of broken heart. We beiev
that the very moment Of Christ's departur
was subject TO his viii, and that Jointly wit
the expiring life Of the evening sacrifice IN tn
Temple he OF his own accord gave up the spiri
3 { and died