and SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST, and his APOSTLES, £2c. informed him of it; begging, at the fame time, that a guard might be placed at the fepulchre, left his difciples {Mould carry away the body, and affirm that he was rifen from the dead. This happened a little before it was dark in the evening, called by the Evangeliíl the next day, becaufe the Jews began their day at fun- fet. This requefl being thought reafon- able by Pilate, he gave them leave to take as many foldiers as they pleafed out of the cohort, which at the feaft came from the caille Antonia, and kept, guard in the porticoes of the temple. For that they were not Jewifhbut Roman foldiers, whom the priefts employed to watch the fepul- chre, is evident from their ailing them of the gòvernor: befides, when the fol- diers returned with the news of our Saviour's refurreflion, the priefts defired them to report that his difciples had flolen him away while they flept ; and to en- courage them to tell that fálfhood boldly promifed, that if their neglet of duty came to the governor's ears, proper 'me- 273 thods fhould be ufed to pacify him, and deliver them from any punifhment : a pro- mile which there was no need of making to fervants under their own immediate command. Now the priefts having thus obtained aguard of Roman foldiers, men, long ac- cuftomed to military duties, and therefore moft proper for watching the body, fet out with them to the fepulchre; and to prevent thefe guards from combining with the difciples in carrying on any fraud, placed them' at their poll, and fealed the {tone which was rolled to the door of the fepulchre. Thus, whilft the priefts cau- tioufly propofed to prevent the refurreéì.ion of our great Redeemer from beingpalmed upon the world, and doubtlefs intended, after the third day was part, to {hew his body publicly as an impoftor, they placed the truthof this flupendous miraclebeyond all doubt, by furnifhing a number of unex- ceptionablewitneffes to it, whole teftimony they themfelves could not refute or gainfay, and therefore attempted to ílifle it. C H A P T E R XL. MaryMagdalene, and the other Mary, go out to view the . Sepulchre, and bring Spices to embalm the Body ofJESUS : A great Earthquake accompanies the Refurredion: An Angel defcends, and JESUS rifts from the Dead : The Behaviour of the jewilk Rulers thereupon. A FTE R the fabbath, Mary Magdalene C1 and the other Mary, came very early in the morning to vifit the fepulchre, in order to embalm our Lord's body: for the performance of which they had, in concert with feveral other women from Galilee, brought unguents and fpices. But before they reached the fepulchre, there was a great earthquake preceding the moft memorable event that ever happened No. 23. amongfl the children of men, the refurrec- tionofthe Son ofGod from the dead: For the angel of the Lord defcendedfrom heaven, and came and rolled back the fone front the door of the fepulchre, andfat upon it: his countenance was like lightening, andhis raiment white asfnozo; andforfear of him the keepers did fhake, and became as dead men; they fled into the city, and the Sa- viour of the world rofe from the dead. 3W The
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=