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have laid him.'

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We will now examine the other evangelifts with respect to this paffage re-. lative to the angel, or angels, and Jesus. Mark's account of what was faid by the angel, agrees fo nearly, that it seems copied from Matthew's, but the effect it had upon the women, he describes very differently- And they went out quickly, and fled from the fepulchre; for they trembled, and were amazed neither faid they any thing to any man; for they were afraid. (Here the appearance of Jesus might be useful, to encou6 rage them; accordingly we find) Now when Jefus was rifen, early the first day of the week; he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he caft feven devils (of incontinence I apprehend) and fhe went and told them that ' had been with him, as they mourned and wept " (their great hopes, and high expactations, it 'feems, were at an end) and they when they 'heard that he was alive, and had been seen of

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her, believed not.' Here we find only one Mary mentioned, and nothing is faid of her holding Jesus by the feet; worshipping him; or the meffage fent to the difciples; but we find she was not believed when she told them fhe had feen Jefus alive. We will now examine Luke's account of this matter. (And here we find as I before obferved) two angels; one or both of whom, fay to the two Marys and other women- Why feek ye the living among the dead? He is not here,

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but is rifen remember how he spake unto you

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when he was yet in Galilee, faying-The Son ' of Man must be delivered into the hands of • finful men, and be crucified, and the third day rife again.' This fpeech differs from that recorded by Matthew and Mark: and as there were two angels and feveral women; we might endeavour to account for the variations, by fuppofing the angels varied in their fpeeches, and the women in their accounts of them: did we not find fubjoined to the faid fpeech- And they • remembered his words, and returned from the fepulchre, and told all these things unto the < eleven, and all the reft.' In the next verse Luke enumerates the women- It was Mary

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Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother ' of James, and other women that were with them, which told thefe things unto the apoftles.' He adds And their words feemed to them

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as idle tales, and they believed them not. What could occafion this difbelief in the apoftles? That which they were here told, as fpoken by the angel, correfponded exactly with what Jefus himself had told them previous to his death. Vide Matthew ch. xvi, v. 21. It is obfervable that though the four evangelifts difagree in their particulars of the refurrection, they are unanimous in afferting the apostles difbelief of it. Luke proceeds- Then arofe Peter and ran unto the fepulchre, and fooping down he beheld the linen

• clothes

clothes laid by themfelves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pafs.' If St. Luke, had perfect understanding of all things, from the very firft; as he himself. afferts in the introduction to his gofpel; how happened he to omit Peter's companion; his competitor in the race, upon this occafion? It is likewise obfervable that Luke fays-Peter went to the fepulchre, upon being informed by the women, that they had seen two angels there, who told them that Jesus was rifen from the dead. John fays-Peter and himself went to the fepulchre upon being informed by Mary Magdalene that the body of Jefus was taken from thence, and that she knew not where they had laid him. We will now resume St. John's account which, we left where Mary Magdalene, after the departure of Peter and John, discovered the two angels in the fepulchre And they fay unto her-Woman,

why weepeft thou? She faith unto them; because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.' Here the long speech of Matthew and Mark's angel, and Luke's angels; is by John reduced to a single queftion; and indeed the angels or their queftion was of little confequence here, as we findWhen she had thus faid, fhe turned herself back, and faw Jefus ftanding, and knew not that it was Jefus. Jefus faith unto her, Woman why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou?

She

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She fuppofing him to be the gardener, (ftrange

and unaccountable ignorance in Mary, who had fo conftantly attended him, or as it is called'miniftered unto him) faith unto him; Sir, if

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thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou haft laid him, and I will take him away. Jefus faith unto her, Mary; fhe turned herself, and faith unto him, Rabboni, which is to fay, Mafter. Jefus faith unto her, Touch me not, for I am not yet afcended to my Father

but go

to my brethren, and fay unto them; I ascend unto my Father, and your Father: and to my God, and your God. Mary Magdalene came and told the difciples, that fhe had feen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her.' Here we find, John fays little of the angels; but in lieu thereof, he gives us a long converfation between Jefus and Mary Magdalene, the favourite and diftinguished female convert. But this converfation differs very much in place, fpeech, and action, from that recorded by Matthew, as having paffed between Jefus, and the two Mary's. There it is faid they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him. Here, Mary discovering that the perfon fhe had taken for the gardener, was really Jefus; no doubt advanced to embrace him: upon which he faid-Touch me not. And the reason he affigned-For I am not yet afcended to my Father,' I do not understand; unless there were two or more afcenfions:

afcenfions: he fuffered the eleven, and Thomas Chapter Verfe in particular, to touch and examine his hands, his feet, and his fide; previous to his public afcenfion. St. Matthew, in continuance fays-Now xxviii. 11 when they (the Mary's) were going, behold fome of the watch came into the city, and fhewed unto the chief priests all the things that were done. And when they were affembled with the elders, and had taken council, they gave large money unto the foldiers faying; Say ye his disciples came by night, and stole him away while we flept; and if this come to 'the governor's ears, we will perfuade him and

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fecure you. So they took the money and did 'as they were taught.' Matthew was particularly fortunate in his information relative to this bufinefs: neither Mark, Luke, or John fay any thing about it. They were equally ignorant, or at least were equally filent, as to the obtaining and fetting this watch; and the fright they were in, when upon duty they faw the angel of the Lord defcend from Heaven, roll back the ftone from the door of the fepulchre, and fit down upon it. Matthew, after faying they took the money and did as they were taught, adds- And this faying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.' And it may now be faid, until this day; nor is it, confidering every circumstance, at all to be wondered at. Matthew's information, as to what followed the refurrection, fell

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