and bid them go and acquaint bis Disciples with it... 605 · LUKE XXIV. 6. He is possessed of an immortal Life He is not here, but Sect. 195. not here, but is risen, [as is risen this Morning, as he said that he should : Be- U he said ; ] [MAR. behold, where they laid him ; hold the Tomb where they laid bim ; the Body is not (come see the place where here: Come in, and satisfy yourselves by the strictthe Lord lay:] Remember eft Enquiry, and view, with all the Mixture of how he spake unto you, when holo Atections which are suitable to such a Cirhe was yet in Galilee, 10 [Mar. XXVIII. 6. MARK cumstance, the place where the Lord of Life and XVI.-6.

Glory, the Prince of Angels and Men, lay, for
a while, a breathless Corpse: But he has now tri-
umphed over the Grave; and you have no Reason
to be surprized to hear it; for, as it was in it-
self most probable, so he often foretold it. Re-
member particularly how be spake unto you, when
he was yet in Galilee with you, where I know how

kindly you attended, and ministred to him (d);
y Saying, The Son of Recollect that remarkable Saying of his, which 7
Man muft be delivered into was so often repeated, The Son of Man must be
the Hands of sinful Men, and delivered into the Hands of Sinners, and be crucia
be crucified, and the Third
Day rise again.

fied, and the Third Day he shall rise again : (See
Mat. xvi. 21. Vol. i. pag. 549. xvii. 22, 23. Vol.

ii. pag. 15. and xx. 18, 19. pag. 264.) Now this,
8 And they remembred as you well know, is the Third Day. (And 8
his Words.

while the Angel spake thus, they called to mind

what Jesus had said, and perfectly remembered his Mar. XXVIII. 7. (But] Words.). But go quickly, added he, and com- Matth. go [your Way] quickly, and municate to your friends the Joy which you XXVIII. n. tell his Disciples (and Peter,] now feel : vea, go and tell his mourning Discithat he is risen from the Dead ; and behold, he goeth ples, and particularly tell Peter, who is so overbefore you into Galilee, there whelmed with his peculiar Sorrows, that he is

Thall risen from the Dead : And add farther, Behold, he
is shortly going before you into Galilee (e); for I

606 As the Women depart with the News, Jesus meets them. Sect. 195. am commissioned to assure you, that there ye Mall Shall ye see him, (as he said

a ll see him, as he said to you that he would meet unto you:] Lo, Jhave told: Matth.

you. (MARK XVI. 7.] XVL you there : (Compare Mat. xxvi. 32. and Mark xiv.

28. pag. 495.) Lo, I, who am one of the Angels that
stand in the Presence of God, have told you this, and
my Affociate here is ready to attest it; and therefore,
important and wonderful as the Message is, you need

not at all scruple to report it. Mark XVI. And upon this, instead of making any farther MARK XVI. 8. And

Scrutiny, they went out quickly, and fled from the Se- they went out quickly, and. pulchre as fast as possible ; for they trembled and were they trembled, and were

fed from the Sepulchre; for amazed at this AngelickVision : And, who ever amazed : neither said they they met by the way, they said nothing to any one any Thing to any Man, for of them, for they were afraid ; [but] with Hearts Fear" and great "Toy did

they were afraid ; (and with full of Fear at what they had seen, and with run to bring his Disciples a Mixture also of great Yoy at this happy News Word.) (MAT. XXVIII. which they had received in so awful a Manner (f), 8.

8.1 they ran with all the Speed they could to bring his

Disciples Word. Matth.

And as they were going on their way to tell bis Mat. XXVIII. 9. And XXVIII. 9. Disciples (g), behold, Yesus himself met them (b), as they went to tell his Dis

ciples, behold, Jesus met laying, in the usual Form of congratulatory Saluta- them, saying, al bail. And tions, Hail, my Friends! I give you Joy of the they came, and held him by Day. And they immediately knowing him, drew the Feet, and worshipped. near in the most respectful Manner, and prostrat

him.
ing themselves before him, took hold of his Feet,
and embraced them, and paid their Homage to him
on this joyful Occasion.

Then

(f) IVith Fear and great Yoy.) It was so natural for fuch a Mixture of Parlons to arise on this grand Occasion, that I think very little Stress is to be laid, on Mark's mentioning their Fear alone, and Matthew's mentioning their Joy with it, to prove they relate diffirent Stories.

(8) And as they were going on their way to tell his Disciples.] Admitting what I am per. suaded most will believe, that there was but one Vision of Angels, and one Message sent by them, this will I think incontestably establish the Order in which we have ranged this Story. For if, (as Dr. Clarke and many other Criticks strangely suppose,) Mary's Interview with the Apostles (7ohn xx. 2.) had happened between the Angelick Vision, and this Appearance of Christ to them, such a Connection as this would have been very unnatural. Matthew would on that Hypothesis rather have said, And when they had told bis Disciples, and they believed them not, Jefus met them, &c.

(6) Jefus himself met them.] I cannot think with Dr. Lightfoot, (Hor. Hebr. in loc.) that this relates to his Interview with Mary, described before ; for tho' an Enallage or Exchange of Numbers be sometimes used, (see Note (b) on Luke xxii. 39. pag. 566.) yet it is. not to be admitted without Necessity. Now it is certain, Mary was alone, when Chrift appeared to her; and that Appearance was at the Sepulchre, this between that and the City, and probably after they had dispatched some considerable Part of the Way in their Flight. The Words (as they went to tell his Disciples,] are indeed wanting in many antient Versions

and

607

a gre

, that they on

They go and tell all these Things to the Disciples. 10 Then said Jefus unto Then Jesus, as he saw that they were still in Sect. 195. them, Be not afraid : go tell a great deal of Confusion, did not long permit my Brethren, that they go

Matth. into Galilee, and there shall them to continue in that Polture, but co

XXVIII. 10. they see me.

and dismissed them, (as he had done before
with respect to Mary,) and said to them, Be
not afraid, for you have no Reason for it ; [but)
as you have now the fullest Proof that I am in-
deed risen from the Dead, go ye therefore, and
tell my dear Brethren, who ever of them you
may meet here in the City (i), that they go away
intó Galilee, to the Place I formerly appointed;
(see Note (6) on Mat. xxvi. 32. pag. 495.) and
when a proper Number of them is met there,
they mall see me appear publickly among them,
to remove all the remaining Doubts which any
of them may entertain, as to the Certainty of my

Resurrection. Luke XXIV. 9. And Now after Jesus had spoken these Words, he im- Luk.XXIV. [they) returned from the Se- mediately disappeared ; and the Women ran on to g. pulchre, and told all these carry the News; And when they were returned Things unto the Eleven, and to all the rest.

from the Sepulchre to Jerusalem, they told all these
Things to the Eleven Apostles, and to all the rest
of the Disciples, whom they met with then, or
on the following Days (k), having it much at
Heart to deliver this important Message in the

most punctual and effectual Manner.
10– It was — Joanna, And it was Yoanna, and Mary [the Mother] of a
and Mary the Mother of Fames and Toses, and Salome, and the other Women
James, and other Women that
were with them, which told that had gone with them, as above, with an Intent
these to embalm Christ's Body,(pag. 593, 594.) who were

thus

and Manuscripts, as Dr. Mill has thewn in his Note on this place; but Dr. Whitby, with considerable Reason contends that they are genuine ; (see his Examen Millii, pag. 91.) and the Sense of them seems implied in the Close of the preceding Verfe.

(i) My Brethren.] The Reader will observe, our Lord speaks the same Language here, which he had used, John xx. 17. (See Note (9) on that Text, pag. 601.) No doubt, these affectionate Friends of Christ were exact in reporting this Circumstance, that their injured Lord called them his Brethren still. And both Matthew, and John, to whom the glad Tidings were immediately brought, felt it strike fo powerfully on their Hearts, that they could not but record it.

(k) And to all the rest.] This I think refers, not only to one Report, but to the Repetition of the Testimony to any of their pious Friends who believed in Jefus : And if that he admitted, it will be an additional and certain Proof, that what is said in ver. 12. should be transposed in such a Manner, as is necessary for reconciling it with the Scheme we have proposed in the preceding Section. Compare Note (b) on Luke xxiv. 12. pag. 597.

'ompare Note (6) conciling it with the Scheimelhould be trent

weep

608

The Disciples know not how to believe them. Sect. 195. thus honoured with this Message from the An- these things unto the Apo

g els, and from Christ himself; and who accord- ttles. Luk.XX

XV. ingly came and told these Things to the Apostles, 10.

who had none of them as yet seen any Thing
more themselves, than that the Sepulchre was

empty, and the Linnen Clothes laid in Order. Mark XVI. And Mary Magdalene (als) went along with the MARK XVI. 10. And jo. told the Discibles that had been focom [Mary Magdalene also] went

and told (Joh. the Discistantly with him, as they were mourning and ples] that had been with

or the Loss of their dear Master, that him, as they mourned and The also had seen the Lord; and that indeed be wept, (Joh. that he had

seen the Lord, and that he had appeared to her the first of all the Com- had fooken there Things un. pany, and had spoken these gracious Things unto to her.] (LUKE XXIV... her as well as to them, relating to his Relur. -10. John XX. 18. rection from the Dead, and had particularly fent her to acquaint them with his Purpose of ascending e'er long, to his father and their Father, and to his God and their God. [Compare John xx. 17. pag. 601.]

But such were the prevailing Prejudices that 11: And they, when they had poffefsed the Minds of the Disciples, and so en- had heard that he was alive

and had been seen of her, betirely were their Spirits dejected, and their Hopes lieved not

pirits dejected, and their hopes lieved not: sand their Words blafted by the Death of their Lord, that tho seemed to them as idle Tales.] they could not think this was related with a De- (LUKE XXIV. 11.) fign to impose upon them, yet they were ready to impute it to the Power of Imagination ; and even when they heard that he was actually alive, and had been seen by her and her Companions, they did not in general believe it; but their Words seemed to most of them as an idle Tale; and they declared their Resolution never to admit the Truth of so important a Fact, till they were satisfied of it by the Testimony of their own Senses; which thro' the great Condescension of their Lord sevesal of them were before the End of that Day,, as, we Thall quickly relate.

IMPROV EM E N T. Mat. xxviii. LU E are now again called, as by the Angel's Voice, to come and see

W the Place where the Lord lay, and to take an affectionate Survey of that Sepulchre, which our rihng Saviour had left, and where he had laid aside the Drefs of Death, as a Token that he should return to it no more. How wonderful, that he thould ever have lain there! that the

Lord

Reflections on CHRIST's Care to comfort bis Disciples. 609 Lord of Life should have dwelt among the Dead, and from the Glory Sect. 195. of the Throne of God, should have funk down to the Abasement of the Grave! - But he has burst its Prison Doors, and has abolished Death, and bim who had the Power of it ; abolished it for himself and us. How are all its Terrors now disarmed! Oh Death, where is thy Sting ! Ob Grave, where is thy Vietory! (1 Cor. xv. 55.)

With what Pleasure did the Angels deliver this gracious Message of Ver. 7, 8. their Lord, as well as ours ! and with what Transport did these pious Women receive it? Behold the tender Care of Christ over his People! Angels have it immediately in Charge to send the glad Tidings to his Dif

ciples; and Jesus repeats and confirms them. Go tell my Brethren, I am Ver. 10. • risen from the Dead. Lord! Is this thy Language concerning those, that

but a few Hours before had forsaken thee, and one of them, with such dreadful Imprecations, denied thee? Yet even that Disciple is not excluded; nay, to him is it peculiarly addressed: Go tell my Brethren, and in par- Mark xvi. 7. ticular, tell Peter, that he, poor Mourner, may especially be comforted. Compassionate Redeemer! thou hast brought up from the Tomb with thee, that Tenderness and Goodness which laid thee there!

Such is the Freedom and Glory of thy Grace, that thou sometimes Ver. 9. doft first manifest thyself to those, who were once in the most miserable Bondage to Satan. When ever this is the Case, may the peculiar Obligation be remembered! May every Remainder of Unbelief be subdued in our Souls; and may we joyfully communicate, to all around us, the Ti- Ver. 10. dings of a rifen Saviour, and the merciful Discoveries of his Presence to us!

SECT. CXCVI.
The Guards, returning to Jerusalem, make their Report to the

Chief Priests; and are bribed to say, that the Disciples stole
the Body of Christ while they sept. Christ appears
to Peter, and then to Two other Disciples. Mat. XXVIII.
11, -15. Mark XVI. 12, 13.

to

MAT. XXVIII. 11.

MAT. XXVIII. 11. Now when they were NOW while these extraordinary Things were Sect. 106. going, behold, some

V transacting, and sthe Wome of the Watch came into the

"City. tell the Disciples what they had heard and seen, be- Matth.. hold, some of the Guards who had fled from the Se- 42

XXVIII. 11. pulchre in great Confternation, began a little to VOL. II. Hhhh

recollect