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ing Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was 64 yet alive: After three days I will rise again. Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people: He is risen from the dead; so the last error 65 shall be worse than the first. Pilate said unto them: Ye have 66 a watch; go your way, make it as sure as ye can. So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.

would not have waited until the next morning after the burial, for they would have feared the robbery of the tomb, during the darkness, by the disciples. The preparation here spoken of was the preparation for the paschal Sabbath, not the paschal feast. Luke xxiii. 54; John xix. 31, 42.

63. That deceiver said. That impostor. They still remained hardened. The portents at Jesus' death, and his own divine bearing on the cross, had not subdued their impenitence. After three days I will rise again. Matt. xii. 40, xvi. 21, xvii. 23, xx. 19, xxvi. 61. The prediction of Jesus had become known among the Jewish people, an evidence that no imposture was designed, for, had there been, the Jews would not have been forewarned so that they could have prevented it. -After three days means, according to Jewish computation, within three days, or on the third day. 2 Chron. x. 5, 12. It is remarkable, that "Jesus' greatest enemies bear witness that before his death he had foretold his resurrection within three days."

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64. That the sepulchre be made sure, i. e. by a Roman guard. Error. Rather, deception, or imposture. Their plea is, that greater influence would be exerted over the people by the assertion, that he had risen from the dead, than had resulted from his exertions while

living; a judgment which was confirmed by subsequent facts.

65. Ye have a watch. Or, as some have suggested, take a watch, or guard, putting the verb in the imperative. Whether the Jews had a guard under their direction or not, is somewhat uncertain. If they had, it was unnecessary for them to apply to Pilate. It is observable, however, that the watch send a message to the priests, as if they were responsible to them, chapter xxviii. 11. A body of Roman soldiers was usually stationed in the castle of Antonia, near the temple, to quell any disturbance that might occur in the city. The Roman watch properly consisted of sixteen soldiers, who were divided into four companies, each company being on guard three hours.

66. Sealing the stone. Probably a band was passed over the stone, and sealed with the public stamp. Dan. vi. 17. Thus, every precaution, which Jewish malice or Roman power could devise, was employed to frustrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. His enemies were satisfied that he was really dead. He was buried in a strong rock tomb, and the mouth closed with a heavy stone, and sealed by the public authority. Roman soldiers, distinguished for their perfect discipline, were placed on guard over his body. If under these circumstances he arose from the dead, it must be re

CHAPTER XXVIII.

The Resurrection of Jesus, and his Farewell Commands.

IN the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene, and the other

garded as an unquestionable proof of the divinity of his mission, the truth of his religion, and the faithfulness of his promises. "If this counsel or this work had been of men, it would have come to nought" in the sepulchre of Jesus; but, as it was of God, it could not be overthrown," though Jew and Roman joined together for its extinc

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"The Sabbath came, with its holy hours of worship and rest. The incense and the sacrifices were of fered up in the temple, and its ample courts resounded with the tread of innumerable worshippers, and the voices of those who sang praise. There were no signs to show that the glory of Israel, the object of so many prophecies, the desire of all nations, the great benefactor of the human race, had just been rudely destroyed by the people whom he had come to bless. The festival went on, and the crowded city rejoiced. - But all were not thus. There were friends of that holy and just one, who, though they were far from a full comprehension of his character, yet mourned him in the depths of their souls as the most excellent and admirable of beings. It is easy to judge what was the gloom of this day to them. To the eleven Apostles especially, who had cause to feel shame for their desertion of him, as well as grief at his death, it must have been a day of unmixed sorrow and despair. Thus the Sabbath passed away, and the dawn of the first day of the week drew nigh." Ware.

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CHAP. XXVIII.

1-10. See Mark xvi. 1-11; Luke xxiv. 1-11; John xx. 1, 2, 18. Different writers have harmonized with more or less success the seemingly conflicting accounts of the resurrection. But the very discrepancies which have been adduced, to shake the genuineness and authority of the Gospels, are proofs of independence, and the absence of concert on the part of the writers, and strikingly betray that agitation and astonishment which must have possessed all who witnessed the amazing facts of the death, resurrection, and ascension of our Lord. The following seems the most probable sequence of events on this most interesting occasion. 1. Several women, among whom was Mary Magdalene, came to the sepulchre and found it open. 2. She hastened to inform Peter and John. 3. Meantime the other women saw two angels. 4. Peter and John, informed of the wonderful intelligence, ran to the sepulchre. 5. Mary Magdalene returns after them, and sees the two angels, and subsequently Jesus. 6. He soon after appears also to the other women, probably on their return.

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2 Mary, to see the sepulchre. And, behold, there was a great earthquake; for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat 3 upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment 4 white as snow. And for fear of him the keepers did shake, 5 and became as dead men. And the angel answered and said unto the women: Fear not ye; for I know that ye seek Jesus, 6 which was crucified. He is not here; for he is risen, as he 7 said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye

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glorious event. - Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary. See chap. xxvii. 61. Mark mentions Salome, also, as one of the company, xvi. 1, and Luke specifies Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and intimates that there were other women also with them, xxiv. 10. Ministering to Jesus during his life, witnessing with grief and horror his crucifixion, and watching his burial, they now come with devoted but heavy hearts, after the solemnities of the holy day, to pay their last offices of respect to his lifeless remains by embalming them in costly spices.

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2-4. There was a great earthquake. Rather, there had been, before the women arrived at the tomb. ·His countenance. His appearance or aspect. The keepers did shake, fc., i. e. the Roman guard. The object of the earthquake and the appearance of the angel was to prevent any opposition, on the part of the soldiers, to Jesus' rising and meeting his friends. Romans as they were, they shrank appalled before the supernatural manifestation. The women had consulted on the way how they should get the stone removed, for it was very large, Mark xvi. 3, 4, by which it appears that they had not been apprized, that the tomb was guarded, and the

stone sealed. As they approached and saw the remarkable appearances, the guard prostrate, and the tomb opened, Mary Magdalene ran back to inform Peter and John, xx. 2, leaving the other women at the sepulchre, who, during her absence, witnessed what is related in the following verses, 5-8. Mark xvi. 5– 8; Luke xxiv. 4-11.

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5-7. Said unto the women: Fear not. These were the associates of Mary Magdalene, who remained after she had hastened to inform Peter and John. The celestial messenger would quiet their fears, by the gracious assurance that Jesus had risen; he gave them a message to his disciples, as if in token of honor for their unfaltering attachment and heroism. He is risen, as he said. Or, he is raised up. sus had uniformly coupled the prediction of his resurrection with his death. Matthew xx. 19, xxvi. 32. Mark gives the interesting particular, that the message was sent to the disciples and Peter, thereby kindly intimating that his fault of denying his Master was forgiven. - He goeth before you into Galilee. He had already assigned this as a place of meeting. Matt. xxvi. 32. The different statements of the Evangelists, in relation to the angels, their appearance, and words, are significant

see him; lo, I have told you. And they departed quickly from 8 the sepulchre with fear and great joy, and did run to bring his disciples word. And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, 9 Jesus met them, saying: All hail! And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him. Then said Jesus unto 10 them Be not afraid; go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me.

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of that artlessness and straight-forwardness, which seek not to anticipate and harmonize difficulties, but to relate the honest truth. 8. They departed. Rather, they going out from the sepulchre

ran.

- Fear and great joy. What dramatist, though it were Shakspeare, ever laid open the feelings of the human heart, as called forth in great emergencies, with more fidelity to nature, than is done in these simple words of the Evangelist? The awe of the spiritual world, into whose secrets they had just obtained so deep a glance, rested upon the women; but a great joy and unspeakable gladness that their friend had been raised up, also filled their hearts. Thus their fear and their joy were not incongruous sentiments, but harmonious one with the other, and, likewise, with the circumstances of the case.

9. In the interim, Peter and John, who had been informed by Mary Magdalene of the opening of the sepulchre, had come to the place, examined the tomb, and returned. Mary Magdalene, also, had come back again to the sepulchre, and been favored with a vision of angels, and, subsequently, with an interview with her risen Master. See Luke xxiv. 12; John xx. 3-17; Mark xvi. 9. As they went to tell his disciples, &c. Jesus had already appeared to Mary Magdalene; he now manifested himself to the women, who were returning from the tomb to inform his disciples of the resurrection. This order of events

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is attended, on the whole, with the fewest difficulties. See note at the beginning of this chapter.-All hail! Rejoice, or, Peace be to you. Luke xxiv. 36. The common salutation, fitted to calm their fears at meeting him, and inspire them with joy at the great event of his resurrection.

- Held him by the feet. Like suppliants, who cast themselves on the ground and embrace the knees or feet of princes and great men in the east. Worshipped him. See note on Matt. ii. 2. This was a mark of deep respect, an act of obeisance, but, by no means, of divine homage and worship, as has been popularly represented. Who can do such violence to the simplicity of the Gospels, as to suppose that those, who, at various times, fell down in respect or supplication at Jesus' feet, adored him as the very God? Why, if they did, did they not call him God? It is painful to think what wrestings, chiefly unintentional, there have been of the Holy Scriptures, and how their luminous pages have been overlapped and beclouded by the theories and dreams of dogmatists. "The simplicity of Christ possesses a charm the world has seldom felt and little appreciates.

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10. Be not afraid; go tell my brethren. With mild and condescending words Jesus would soothe their troubled minds. He even calls his disciples by the endearing title of Brethren; forgetting and forgiving their denial and desertion of him. John xv. 15. Furness remarks truly, that "it is impossible

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Now when they were going, behold, some of the watch came into the city, and showed unto the chief priests all the things 12 that were done. And when they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto 13 the soldiers, saying: Say ye: His disciples came by night, 14 and stole him away, while we slept. And if this come to

that any one could have fabricated a personage whose tone of sentiment and expression should be in perfect accordance with that wonderful being who had a little while before expired on the cross. No human art could have added another chapter to that life." The words and deeds of the risen Jesus are all in beautiful harmony with those of the previously living Jesus. This identity of conduct and character is evidence of the reality of the resurrection.

11. Showed unto the chief priests. Either because they knew the priests would be most interested in the matter, or because they were under their command, and responsible to them for what occurred. See note on chap. xxvi. 65.

12. Assembled with the elders, &c. A meeting of the Sanhedrim was called.-Large money. A large sum of money. This was given as a bribe to the soldiers to induce them to circulate a false report respecting the rising of Jesus. A fit conclusion to the long train of iniquity of which the priests and Scribes had been guilty, to destroy the innocent, but which had only redounded to their shame and his glory. 13. Stole him away, while we slept. Fox, in his sermon on the Jews' account of the resurrection, has well summed up the inconsistencies of this story. 1st, As the soldiers changed guard every three hours, it was improbable that they should sleep. 2d, This improbability is increased by the fact that there were several, who would not all be likely

to sleep at the same time, or to sleep during the noise of opening the tomb and removing the body. 3d, The severity of the Roman military discipline, which made it death for a soldier to be sleeping on his post, would keep them awake. 4th, They testified to what took place during their sleep, when they could have witnessed nothing. 5th, Had the body been lost through their negligence, they would have been the last persons to confess it. 6th, If we now turn from the soldiers to the disciples, we shall see that it would have answered no purpose to have got possession of the body by violent means. 7th, They were too poor to bribe the soldiers. 8th, As the tomb was in the vicinity of Jerusalem, and it was now the time of the passover, full moon, they would have been observed and detected by others, even if they had eluded, or bribed, or destroyed, the soldiers. 9th, The state of confusion and fear into which the death of Jesus plunged them would incapacitate them for forming and executing so daring a plan. 10th, If the Jewish story were true, the disciples must have been either the confederates or dupes of Jesus, and they would therefore have been either enraged or overwhelmed by his death, so as to be disqualified for taking such a step. 11th, The disciples, in common with the rest of the Jews, expected a temporal Messiah. But the raising of Christ from the tomb would not further that end in the least. To assert that he had been raised up, when

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