,,the ,,centurion',s ,,story    ,,david 
,,james ,,burrell    ,,american ,,tract 
,,society #aej ,,nassau ,,street1 ,,new 
,,york  ,,copyright1 #ahib and #aiaa1   
,by ,,american ,,tract ,,society        
,,the ,,centurion',s ,,story   ,i am an 
old man now2 the burden of fourscore    
years is resting upon me4 ,but the      
events of a certain ,april day in the   
year #ghc ,a4,u4,c4--full half a century
 ago--are as fresh in my memory as if   
they had happened yesterday4  ,at that  
time ,i was stationed with my ,hundred  
on garrison duty at the ,castle of      
,antonia1 in ,jerusalem4 ,i had been    
ordered to take charge of the execution 
of a malefactor who had just been       
sentenced to death4 ,accordingly1 on the
 morning of the day mentioned1 ,i       
selected twelve of my men1 such as were 
hardened to bloody deeds1 and with them 
,i proceeded to the ,prtorium4 ,all was 
hurry and excitement there4 ,as it was  
the time of the ,jewish ,passover1 the  
city was thronged with strangers4 ,a    

multitude of people had assembled and   
were clamoring for the death of this    
man4 ,on our arrival he was brought     
forth4 ,he proved to be that ,prophet of
 ,nazareth whose oracular wisdom and    
wonder-working power had been everywhere
 noised abroad4 ,i had heard much about 
him4  ,he claimed to be the ,messiah for
 whose advent the ,jews had been looking
 from time immemorial2 and his disciples
 believed it4 ,they called him by such  
well-known ,messianic titles as ,son of 
,man1 ,son of ,david and ,son of ,god4  
,he spoke of himself as the             
only-begotten ,son of ,god1 declaring   
that he had been in the bosom of the    
,father before the world was1 and that  
he was now manifest in human form to    
expiate the world's sin4 ,this was      
regarded by the religious leaders as    
rank blasphemy and they clamored for his
 death4 ,he was tried before the ,roman 
court1 which refused to consider the    
charge1 inasmuch as it involved a       
religious question not lying within its 

jurisdiction2 but the prisoner1 being   
turned over to the ,sanhedrin1 was found
 worthy of death for making himself     
equal with ,god4  ,i remember him well  
as he appeared that day4 ,from what ,i  
had heard ,i was prepared to see a      
hard-faced impostor or a fanatic with   
frenzy in his eyes4 ,he was a man of    
middle stature1 with a face of striking 
beauty and benignity1 eyes of mingled   
light and warmth1 and auburn hair       
falling over his shoulders4 ,it was not 
strange that he looked pale and haggard2
 for he had passed through three        
judicial ordeals since the last sunset1 
besides being scourged with the         
flagellum horrible and exposed to the   
rude buffeting of the midnight guard4   
,he had been clothed in the cast-off    
purple of the ,roman procurator and wore
 a derisive crown of thorns4 ,but1 as he
 issued from the ,hall of ,judgment1    
such was his commanding presence that   
the multitude was hushed and separated  
to make way4  ,the cross1 constructed of

 transverse beams of sycamore1 was      
brought and laid upon his shoulders4    
,about his neck was suspended a titulum 
on which was inscribed1 ,jesu ,nazaret1 
,rex ,judorum4 ,i was told that the     
,jewish leaders had objected to his     
being called their ,king2 but ,pilate1  
by whose orders the titulum was         
prepared1 was for some reason insistent 
and answered them shortly1 ,what ,i have
 written1 ,i have written4 ,it was easy 
to see1 however1 that they bitterly     
resented it4  ,at the accustomed signal 
my quaternions fell into the line and   
the procession moved on4 ,i rode before1
 clearing the way4 ,the people thronged 
the narrow streets1 crying more and more
 loudly as we proceeded1 ,staurosate6   
,staurosate6 ,crucify him6  ,the        
,nazarene1 weak from long vigils and    
suffering1 bowed low under his burden4  
,a woman in the company1 by name        
,veronica1 pressed near and wiped the   
dust and blood from his haggard face4   
,it was reported that the napkin when   

withdrawn bore the impress of his face1 
marred1 but divinely beautiful4 ,whether
 this be true or not ,i cannot say4  ,as
 the multitude surged onward toward the 
,jaffa gate1 a cobbler named ,ahasuerus1
 as if moved by a malignant spirit1     
thrust his foot before the prisoner1 who
 stumbled thereat and fell4 ,in         
punishment for that cruel deed he is    
said to be still a wanderer upon the    
earth with no rest for his weary feet4  
,this1 too1 is a mere legend2 but       
certainly ,i have found1 even in the    
grim business of a soldier1 that        
retribution like a fury pursues all     
pitiless men4  ,we passed through the   
,jaffa gate and entered upon the steep  
road leading to the place of execution4 
,the sun flamed down upon us2 we were   
enveloped in a cloud of dust4 ,the      
prisoner at length1 overborne by his    
cross1 fell beneath it4 ,we seized upon 
an ,ethiopian who chanced to be in the  
throng and placed the burden upon him4  
,strange to tell1 he assumed it without 

a murmur2 insomuch that by many he was  
suspected of being a secret follower of 
,jesus4  ,as we surged on with din and  
uproar a group of women standing by the 
wayside rent the air with shrill        
lamentations1 on hearing which ,jesus   
said1 ,daughters of ,jerusalem1 weep not
 for me1 but for yourselves and your    
children2 for behold the days come when 
they shall say to the mountains1 ,fall  
on us6 and to the hills1 ,cover us6 ,it 
was a weird prophecy1 and ere a         
generation passed it was to the letter  
fulfilled4 ,there were those in that    
company who lived to see the ,holy ,city
 compassed about by a forest of hostile 
spears4 ,its inhabitants were brought   
low by famine and pestilence1 insomuch  
that the eyes of mothers rested hungrily
 on the white flesh of their own        
children4 ,on the surrounding heights   
crosses were reared1 on which hundreds  
of ,jewish captives died the shameful   
death4 ,despair fell upon all4 ,and in  
those days there were not a few who     

called to mind the ominous words of the 
,nazarene1 ,weep not for me1 but for    
yourselves and for your children after  
you6  ,the road we journeyed has since  
been known as ,via ,dolorosa4 ,it led to
 the round knoll called ,golgotha1 from 
its resemblance to a skull4 ,as we drew 
nigh we perceived two crosses1 already  
reared1 on which two thieves of         
,barabbas' band had been suspended in   
agony for some hours4 ,their twisted    
bodies stood out grimly against the sky4
 ,our prisoner1 as an added mark of     
obloquy1 was to be crucified between    
them4  ,our spears and standards were   
lowered1 and ,jesus1 being stripped of  
his outer garments1 was laid prostrate  
upon his cross4 ,a soldier approached   
with hammer and spikes1 at sight of whom
 the frenzied multitude ceased their    
revilings for the moment and pressed    
near4 ,the prisoner preserved his calm  
demeanor4 ,a stupefying draught was     
offered him2 but he refused it1         
apparently preferring to look death     

calmly in the face4 ,he stretched out   
his hands2 the hammer fell4  ,at the    
sight of blood the mob broke forth      
again1 crying1 ,staurosate6 ,but not a  
word escaped the sufferer4 ,as the nails
 tore through the quivering flesh his   
eyes closed and his lips moved as if he 
were holding communion with some        
invisible ,one4 ,then with a great      
wrench the cross was lifted into the    
socket prepared for it4  ,at this moment
 the first word escaped him4 ,with a    
look of reproach and an appealing glance
 to heaven1 he cried1 ,father1 forgive  
them2 they know not what they do6 ,it   
was as if he were covering our heads    
with a shield of prayer4 ,in this he did
 but practise his own rule of charity   
and doctrine of forgiveness1 ,love your 
enemies1 bless them that curse you1 do  
good to them that hate you1 and pray for
 them that despitefully use you4  ,his  
prayer1 however1 seemed but to rouse    
anew the fury of his enemies4 ,they     
cried out in mockery1 ,come down6 come  

down from thy cross4 ,thou that boastest
 of destroying the ,temple and          
rebuilding it in three days1 save       
thyself6 ,the priests and rabbis1       
standing by1 joined in the mockery1     
saying1 ,aha1 he saved others1 himself  
he cannot save6 ,let him come down if he
 be the ,messiah1 the chosen of ,god6   
,my soldiers meanwhile disputed as to   
the apportionment of his garments2 ,i   
noted the rattling of dice in the brazen
 helmet wherein they were casting lots  
for his seamless robe4  ,the thieves on 
either hand joined for a time in the    
mockery2 but presently a change came    
over the one upon the right1 whose name 
was ,dysmas4  ,this man1 like his       
fellow1 had belonged to a notorious band
 of robbers who infested the road to    
,jericho4 ,his life had been passed in  
bloody work2 but the patient demeanor of
 ,jesus touched his heart and convinced 
him that ,he was indeed the veritable   
,son of ,god4 ,the other thief joined in
 the mockery1 but ,dysmas remonstrated  

with him1 saying1 ,dost thou not even   
fear ,god8 ,we indeed are condemned     
justly1 receiving the due reward of our 
deeds2 but this man hath done nothing   
amiss4 ,then presently1 turning his     
pain-racked eyes toward ,jesus1 he      
entreated1 ,lord1 remember me when thou 
comest in thy kingdom6 ,the ,nazarene   
straightway turned upon him a look of   
compassionate love1 saying1 ,to-day thou
 shalt be with me in paradise6  ,an hour
 later this robber's head sank upon his 
breast2 but in death his face wore a    
look of indescribable peace4 ,the time  
came when the word of pardon addressed  
to this man was a message of hope and   
comfort to other great sinners4 ,he who 
saved ,dysmas in the article of death1  
plucking him from the edge of the abyss1
 was thenceforth believed by ,his       
followers to be able to save even unto  
the uttermost all who would come unto   
,him4  ,not far from the cross stood a  
company of women wringing their hands in
 helpless grief4 ,among them was the    

mother of ,jesus4 ,when her infant son  
had been brought to the ,jewish ,temple1
 an old priest took him from his        
mother's arms and prophesied1 ,this     
child is set for the fall and rise of   
many in ,israel2 then looking upon the  
mother1 he said3 ,a sword shall pass    
through thine own soul also4 ,at this   
moment his word was fulfilled2 the iron 
entered her soul4 ,her dying ,son beheld
 her1 and1 with his eyes directing her  
to one who was known as his favorite    
disciple1 he said1 ,woman1 behold thy   
,son6 and this disciple thereupon bore  
her fainting away4  ,it was now noon1   
clear1 scorching1 ,syrian noon4 ,but a  
singular mist was gathering before the  
sun4 ,shadows fell from the heights of  
,moab2 and as they deepened more and    
more the gleam on shield and helmet     
faded out4 ,night rose from the ravines1
 surging upward in dark billows1        
overwhelming all4 ,a strange pallor     
rested on all faces4  ,it was night1 an 
,egyptian night at high noon6 ,what     

meant it8 ,manifestly this was no       
eclipse1 for the paschal moon was then  
at its full4 ,the ,jews had ofttimes    
clamored for a sign1 a sign whereby they
 might test this sufferer's ,messianic  
claim4 ,had the sign come8 ,was nature  
now sympathizing with her ,lord8 ,were  
these shadows the trappings of a        
universal woe8 ,was ,god manifesting his
 wrath against sin8 ,or was this        
darkness a stupendous figure of the     
position in which the dying ,nazarene   
stood with respect to the deliverance of
 the race from sin8  ,once in a ,jewish 
synagogue ,i heard a rabbi read from the
 scroll of ,isaiah a prophecy concerning
 the ,messiah2 that he was to be wounded
 for our transgressions and bruised for 
our iniquities2 that by his stripes we  
might be healed4 ,it was predicted that 
when this ,messiah came he should1      
bearing the world's burden of sin1 go   
into the outer darkness in expiatory    
pain4 ,was it at this awful moment that 
he carried that burden into the region  

of the lost8 ,did he just then descend  
into hell for us8  ,hark6 a cry from his
 fever-parched lips1 piercing the       
silence and the darkness1 ,eli1 ,eli1   
lama sabachthani8 ,my ,god1 my ,god1 why
 hast ,thou forsaken me8 ,save for that 
terrific cry of anguish the silence was 
unbroken for three mortal hours4  ,i    
have known other victims of the cross to
 vent their rage in impotent wrath1 to  
spit their hate like asps1 to harangue  
the crowd with helpless protestations1  
or to beg for the death-stroke2 but this
 ,jesus preserved a majestic silence4   
,the people also seemed wrapped in a    
weird terror4 ,naught was heard but the 
rattling of armor as some soldier       
jostled his comrade1 or the sobbing of  
women or the dropping of blood4 ,thus   
until the ninth hour of the day4  ,it   
was now the time of the evening         
sacrifice1 and the darkness began slowly
 to lift4 ,then the ,nazarene uttered   
his only word of complaint3 ,i thirst4  
,whereupon a strange thing happened4    

,one of my soldiers1 trained in the     
arena and in gladiatorial contests--a   
man who had never been known to spare a 
foe1 delighting in the sack of cities1  
looking on unmoved when children were   
dashed against the stones--this man     
dipped a sponge in the sour wine which  
was provided for the guard1 and would   
have raised it to the sufferer's lips4  
,but the ,jews cried out1 ,let be1 let  
be6 ,let us see if ,eli will come to    
help him6 ,for a moment the soldier     
hesitated1 even joined in the cry2 then 
giving way to the more merciful         
promptings of his heart1 lifted the     
sponge and assuaged the thirst of the   
dying man4 ,it was the only deed of     
kindness ,i noted on ,golgotha that day4
 ,in return for it the ,nazarene cast   
upon his benefactor such a look of      
gratitude that he was ever after a      
different man4 ,his nature seemed to be 
transformed by it4  ,then ,jesus cried  
with a loud voice1 ,tetelestai6 ,it is  
finished6 ,did this signify that his    

pain was over8 ,well might he1 after    
such anguish1 utter a sigh of relief4   
,or was it that his mission was         
accomplished8 ,so have ,i seen a laborer
 turn homeward from his day's work with 
pleasant anticipation of rest4 ,so have 
,i seen a wayfarer quicken his footsteps
 as1 at eventide1 he came in sight of   
the village lights4 ,so have ,i seen a  
soldier1 weary with the stress of       
conflict and wounded unto death1 bear   
the standard aloft as he climbed the    
parapet and with his last voice shouted 
for victory6  ,and then the last word4  
,it was spoken softly1 as if from the   
threshold of the other world1 ,father1  
into thy hands ,i commend my spirit6    
,then1 as he yielded up the ghost1 a    
look of surpassing peace fell upon his  
upturned face1 which lingered even after
 death had put its rigid seal upon it4  
,thus he fell on sleep4 ,i have ofttimes
 since been reminded of that look when  
,i have seen an infant lulled in its    
mother's arms1 or when1 walking through 

a ,christian cemetery1 ,i have noted    
upon the tombstones of martyrs the word 
,dormit3 ,he sleeps4  ,the supernatural 
darkness had now given way to a calm    
twilight4 ,the sky was covered far      
toward the zenith with a golden splendor
 crossed with bars of crimson light4 ,it
 looked as if heaven's gates were       
opened2 and one gazing through could    
almost seem to see the flitting of      
superhuman shapes and hear far-away     
voices calling1 ,lift up your heads1 ,o 
ye gates2 even lift them up1 ye         
everlasting doors1 and the ,king of     
,glory shall come in6  ,at that moment  
the earth rumbled under my feet2 a      
shudder seemed to pass through nature4  
,it was said that as the high priest was
 kindling the lamps in the ,holy ,place 
of the ,temple1 in connection with the  
evening sacrifice1 the great veil       
hanging before the ,holy of ,holies was 
rent from the top to the bottom as if by
 an unseen hand4 ,this happened at the  
instant when the ,nazarene yielded up   

his spirit1 and his followers are wont  
to say that when he passed from earth to
 resume his heavenly glory a new and    
living way was opened up for penitent   
sinners into the ,holiest of ,all4  ,the
 execution being over1 the people slowly
 dispersed to their homes4 ,twilight    
settled down on ,golgotha4 ,a group of  
wailing women lingered for a while1 then
 went their way4 ,against the sky stood 
forth the three crosses4 ,on the        
uplifted face of ,dysmas the moonlight  
showed the look of ineffable peace that 
had settled upon it4 ,the face of the   
other robber was fallen upon his breast4
 ,in the midst ,jesus looked upward1    
dead but triumphant6 ,long and          
steadfastly ,i gazed upon him4 ,the     
events of the day crowded fast upon my  
mind and my conviction deepened that    
this was no impostor1 no fanatic1 no    
common man4 ,my conscience was sore     
smitten2 my heart was inexpressibly     
touched by the memory of the things     
which ,i had seen2 and1 with scarcely an

 intention1 ,i said aloud1 but softly1  
,verily1 this was a righteous man4      
,then ,i reined my horse and rode down  
the hill4 ,the lights were kindling in  
,jerusalem2 the beacon on the ,castle of
 ,antonia was beginning to glow4 ,at a  
little distance ,i drew rein and looked 
back at ,golgotha4 ,his cross was there 
outlined against the sky4 ,i felt myself
 in the grip of a mighty passion of     
doubt and wonder6 ,who was he8 ,who was 
he8 ,i would go back and see6  ,i       
dismounted beneath his cross and gazed  
upward1 unmindful of the strange looks  
which my soldiers cast upon me4 ,tears  
came to my eyes1 old campaigner though  
,i was1 tears of grief1 of penitence1 of
 dawning faith4 ,i knelt2 ,i prostrated 
myself before the ,christ who hung dead 
on that accursed tree4 ,i rose again and
 saw him4 ,dead8 ,nay1 living6--living  
evermore in the glory which he had with 
the ,father before the world was6 ,the  
truth went surging irresistibly through 
my soul2 until at length1 able to       

restrain myself no longer1 ,i cried1    
caring not though the world heard me1   
,verily1 this was the ,son of ,god6     
99      99      99      99      99  ,i  
am old now1 and the end draws near4 ,for
 half a century ,i have loved and served
 ,him4 ,i have known trials and sorrows 
not a few1 but ,his presence has upheld 
me4 ,the promise he gave his disciples  
the night before his death has been my  
mainstay3 ,lo1 ,i am with you alway6 ,in
 the faith of that promise ,i have seen 
men and women die with the light of     
heaven on their faces1 heroic amid the  
flames1 triumphant before the lion's    
eyes4 ,i have heard them once and again 
protesting with their last breath1      
,christianus sum6 ,i am a ,christian6   
,i1 too1 am a ,christian1 and humbly    
proud of it4 ,the cross in my time has  
been transformed from an emblem of shame
 into a symbol of triumph4 ,and the     
,christ who suffered upon it has been   
made unto me wisdom and righteousness   
and sanctification and redemption4 ,he  

is my first1 my last1 my midst and all  
in all4 ,i have learned somewhat of the 
meaning of his life and death and       
glorious resurrection4 ,many wonderful  
hopes have ,i2 but the best is this1    
that ,i--the soldier who had charge of  
his crucifixion--may yet behold his face
 in peace2 that ,i1 who bowed that night
 with broken heart beneath his cross1   
may some day look upon the ,king in his 
beauty and fall before him1 crying1 ,my 
,lord and my ,god6