Jesus hanging on the Cross between two Thieves.
The tremendous concussion caused by the fall of the cross into the
hole prepared for it drove the sharp points of the crown of thorns,
which was still upon the head of our dear Saviour, still deeper into
his sacred flesh, and blood ran down again in streams, both from it and
from his hands and feet. The archers then placed ladders against the
sides of the cross, mounted them and unfastened the ropes with which
they had bound our Lord to the cross, previous to lifting it up,
fearing that the shock might tear open the wounds in his hands and
feet, and that then the nails would no longer support his body. His
blood had become, in a certain degree, stagnated by his horizontal
position and the pressure of the cords, but when these were withdrawn,
it resumed its usual course, and caused such agonising sensations
throughout his countless wounds, that he bowed his head, and remained
as if dead for more than seven minutes. A pause ensued; the
executioners were occupied with the division of his garments; the
trumpets in the Temple no longer resounded; and all the actors in this
fearful tragedy appeared to be exhausted, some by grief, and others by
the efforts they had made to compass their wicked ends, and by the joy
which they felt now at having at last succeeded in bringing about the
death of him whom they had so long envied. With mixed feelings of fear
and compassion I cast my eyes upon Jesus,--Jesus my Redeemer,--the Redeemer
of the world. I beheld him motionless, and almost lifeless. I felt as
if I myself must expire; my heart was overwhelmed between grief, love,
and horror; my mind was half wandering, my hands and feet burning with
a feverish heat; each vein, nerve, and limb was racked with
inexpressible pain; I saw nothing distinctly, excepting my beloved
Spouse hanging on the cross. I contemplated his disfigured countenance,
his head encircled with that terrible crown of thorns, which prevented
his raising it even for a moment without the most intense suffering,
his mouth parched and half open from exhaustion, and his hair and beard
clotted with blood. His chest was torn with stripes and wounds, and his
elbows, wrists, and shoulders so violently distended as to be almost
dislocated; blood constantly trickled down from the gaping wounds in
his hands, and the flesh was so torn from his ribs that you might
almost count them. His legs and thighs, as also his arms, were
stretched out almost to dislocation, the flesh and muscles so
completely laid bare that every bone was visible, and his whole body
covered with black, green, and reeking wounds. The blood which flowed
from his wounds was at first red, but it became by degrees light and
watery, and the whole appearance of his body was that of a corpse ready
for interment. And yet, notwithstanding the horrible wounds with which
he was covered, notwithstanding the state of ignominy to which he was
reduced, there still remained that inexpressible look of dignity and
goodness which had ever filled all beholders with awe.
The complexion of our Lord was fair, like that of Mary, and slightly
tinted with red; but his exposure to the weather during the last three
years had tanned him considerably. His chest was wide, but not hairy
like that of St. John Baptist; his shoulders broad, and his arms and
thighs sinewy; his knees were strong and hardened, as is usually the
case with those who have either walked or knelt much, and his legs
long, with very strong muscles; his feet were well formed, and his
hands beautiful, the fingers being long and tapering, and although not
delicate like those of a woman, still not resembling those of a man who
had laboured hard. His neck was rather long, with a well-set and finely
proportioned head; his forehead large and high; his face oval; his
hair, which was far from thick, was of a golden brown colour, parted in
the middle and falling over his shoulders; his beard was not any great
length, but pointed and divided under the chin. When I contemplated him
on the cross, his hair was almost all torn off, and what remained was
matted and clotted with blood; his body was one wound, and every limb
seemed as if dislocated.
The crosses of the two thieves were placed, the one to the right and
the other to the left of Jesus; there was sufficient space left for a
horseman to ride between them. Nothing can be imagined more distressing
than the appearance of the thieves on their crosses; they suffered
terribly, and the one on the left-hand side never ceased cursing and
swearing. The cords with which they were tied were very tight, and
caused great pain; their countenances were livid, and their eyes
enflamed and ready to start from the sockets. The height of the crosses
of the two thieves was much less than that of our Lord.