The National tribune., 1891-11-26
SUNDAY MEDITATION.

Practical Duties Taught by Study of the
international Sunday-sehOoI Lesson APP
pointed for Dee. 8, 1881. st. John. 49, IL
so.
tono reading these notes should frs, carefully
study the paragraph from the Holy Scriptures
Indicated aboyel
SUBJECTS: l. Galway. II. THE CEUcT-
FIxIos. Ill The INSCRIPTION ON THE
Cross. ~. ALLOTMENT OF CHESTS Raj
MENT. v. THE WOMEN AT THE Cross.
L THE PLACE OF CHESTS CRUcIFIxIoH.
l. Data.
Read st. Mt, q: 80; st. Mark, Is: %; Sc.
Luke, %; 81, as far "a to the words called
Calvary" 81. John. 10: IL, Into place called
the place of skull, which is called in the He
brew, Golgotha."
2. TTms
We may say 1t was about 10 minutes to 9
o'clock =. m. it was Just before Jesus was
nailed to the cross. The year. month and day
were A. ID. %. March Is, Friday.
3. Place.
The words Golgotha and skull are equivs-
lents-GolgOtha being Syro- ChaIdee, corrup-
ton Of Chaldee. Golgotha was likewise called
calvary. Latin word. which also means skull.
We do not know why il was so named. IL has
been said that the reason is the fact that tho
skulls of victims were suffered to lay about the
spot SOmo think the place was something the
shape Of skull. IL was the locality where
public executions in that region were inflicted.
sort OF Economic Scale Us at Rome. It was
without the gates;" that is to say, outside the
walls OF Jerusalem, Heb, ID: H. and nigh
70 the city," (St. John, 10 20.)
4. Suggestions
From the standpoint Of the erucifers Of
Christ il was fitting that he be dragged out
from the city. He was considered gross sim
ner, not fit Tor society. The custom Of having
executions outside Of the city had a symbolic
significance and an esthetic fitness. without
are dogs" etc. (See Rev., %: I5.) Only the
pure must be tolerated 10 the new Jerusalem,
the City Of God. Here is a suggestion to
municipal affairs Cities are centers OF popu-
latiops radiating influences throughout the
country. Officials should aim for integrity.
Evil should be cast out from the city.
II. The CRUCIFIxIoS.
l. Data.
Read st. Matt, 81: b, "And they crueiHed
him. 30; st. Mark, 10: 25 %. q. %; St. Luke.
%: ~, 80. there they cruciied him and the
malsiactors, one on the right hand and the
other on the left ~; St. John, 10: Is.
q Tine.
BY the statement " they crucifed him." we
understand the mailing him TO the cross and
the elevation Of the cross. They probably laid
the cross horizontally on the ground. fastened
the victim TO il, and then raised it erect. In
cases, however, they may have fixed the cross
erect hrst and then bound the victim 20 10. The
act OF the crucidxion would not require much
time, say 10 minutes. But death by cruCifxiOn
was lingering process, az times requiring saw
oral days.
There were three victims. Perhaps all were
hrst nailed to their respective crosses. The de-
tachment Of soldiers may have consisted Of
Ia m Ia ha Gyfn IN
coed simultaneously. Hence, perhaps, the
squad that executed Jesus may have differed
from the men who nailed the thieves to shsir
crosses.
3 PEaes.
This corresponds with the same in the para
graph above.
4 Malefactors
We know little Of these. st. Luke calls them
malefaetOfs, or eYil-dOers. SITS. Matthew and
Mark style them thieves They were trans-
RressOrs. is. 53 IL; 81. Luke, q; 81 They
bad really committed crime. (See ST. Luke
%: Al tradition says the penitens thief
was 81. Dimas.
5. Method Of Execution.
The method Of fastening victims to crosses
varied, being sometimes by nails, at other times
by ropes. In this lesson nails were used. The
feet Of crucifed persons reached to about "a 20
81 inches from the ground. On the front per-
PendicuiaT OF the cross there was q peg on
which the victim gained some support for his
body, keeping il from sagging and tearing
hands aud leet from the nails Some crosses
bad platforms on which the feet could rest.
enabling the sufferer % remain more erect
This method Of execution was horrible. IL is
very ancient custom. The Burmese, Chinese
kur'is, MahOmetaHs, and other nations have
praeticed IL. Most Of the old nations more or
less, inflicted capital puishmsnt by crueifxiOn.
8. The Three Crosses.
Number one signifies condemnation; number
two atonement or salvation; number three,
penitsnee-diseIse. remedy aud effect. There
arc Two sides. Who is on the Lords sidef
III. Inscription ON CHESTS Cross.
/. Data
81. Mt. q 81; 50. Mark, Is: %; Sc. Luke.
%: 80; st. John, 10: 1922.
2. Tins.
Plate ordered the inscription to be prepared.
IL was probably written in Jerusalem, at the
Judgment Hall, and taken by the soldiers over
to Calvary. This label was attached hori-
zontally 10 the perpendicular beam OF the cross,
above the head OF Christ 10 was probably fas-
tened 70 the cross while the cross lay on the
ground. From the account Of ST. Matthew we
might infer that the inscription was fastened
after Christ was nailed to the croas either
while It was lying On the ground or after IL was
erected.
g. Plaes
Same az in first paragraph above.