The Sabbath is now approaching, and you’ll forgive me if I indulge in no further words of thanks, Pilate.  I may not delay, lest the hour should come upon me after which no work can be done.  Not that I hold with such strict observances.  A good work done upon the Sabbath must be viewed more favourably by God than a bad work done on another day of the week.  But I would not have it said that I violated the Sabbath to bury Jesus.  As you will, my good Joseph, Pilate said, and stood looking after Joseph and the centurion, who, as they drew near to the gate of the city, remembered that a sheet would be wanted to wrap the body in.  Joseph answered the centurion that there was no time for delay, but the centurion replied:  in yon shop sheets are sold.  Moreover, you will want a lantern, Sir, for the lifting of the body from the cross will take some time, and the carrying of it to the tomb will be a slow journey for you though you get help, and the day will be gone when you arrive.  You had better buy a lantern, Sir.  Joseph did as he was bidden, and they hurried on to Golgotha.

Nothing has been done in my absence? the centurion asked the soldiers, who answered:  nothing, Sir; and none has been here but these women, whom we did not drive away, but told that you were gone with one Joseph of Arimathea to get an order from Pilate for the body.  That was well, the centurion answered.  And now do you loose the cords that bind the hands, and get the dead man down.  Which was easy to accomplish, the feet of the crucified being no more than a few inches from the ground; and while this was being done Joseph told the centurion that the women were the sisters of Lazarus, whom Jesus had raised from the dead; a story that set the Roman soldiers laughing.  Can a man be raised from the dead? they asked; and if this man could do such a thing how is it that he did not raise himself out of death into life?  To which neither Joseph nor the two women made any answer, but stood, their eyes fixed on their thoughts, asking themselves how they were to carry Jesus to the sepulchre, distant about a mile and a half.  And it not seeming to them that they could carry the body, the centurion offered Joseph the help of one of his soldiers, which they would have accepted, but at that moment an ox-cart was perceived hastening home in the dusk.  Joseph, going after the carrier, offered him money if he would bring the body of one of the crucified to the sepulchre in Mount Scropas for him.  To which the carrier consented, though he was not certain that the job might not prevent him from getting home before the Sabbath began.  But he would see what could be done.