274 The NEW and COMPLETE LIFE of our BLESSED LORD The angel, who had till then fat upon the Done, quitted his Ration, entered into the fepulchre, and probably placed the linen clothes and napkin in the order they were afterwards found and obfervedby John and Peter. In the mean time, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were Rill on their way to the fepulchre, together with Salome, who joined them on the road. As they pro- ceeded on their way they confulted amongft themfelves with regard to the method of putting their intention of embalming the body of theirbeloved Mailer in execution ; particularly with refpe& to the enormous ílone which they had feen placed there with the utmoft difficulty two days before : Who, faid they, (hall roll us away the f one from the door of the fepulchre ?for it was very great. But in the midi of their de- liberation about removing this great and foie obflacle to their defign (for it does not appear they knew any thing of the guard) they lift up their eyes, and per- ceived it was already rolled away : alarmed at fo extraordinaryand founexpedled a cir- cumflance, Mary Magdalene concluded, that the Done could not be rolled away without force defign ; and that they who rolled it away could have no other defign, than that of removing our Lord's body : and being convinced by appearances that they had really done fo, fhe ran imme- diately to acquaint Peter and John of what fhe had feen, and what fhe fufpeEed; leaving Mary and Salome there, that if the other women fhould arrive during her abfence, they might acquaint them with their furprife at finding the Done removed, and of Mary Magdalene's running to in- form the apolles of the extraordinary event. The foldiers, who were terrified at feeing an awful meffenger from on high roll away the Done from the door of the fepulchre, and open it in quality of a fervant, fled into the city, and informed the Jewifh rulers of there miraculous appearances. This account was highly mortifying to the chief priefls, as it was a proof ofour Sa- viour's refurreétion that could not be denied : they therefore refolved to Rifle it immediately ; and, accordingly, bribed the foldiers to conceal the real £aíì1, and to publifh every where, that his difciples had Dolen the body out of the fepulchre. What ! the body taken away while the fepulchre was guarded by Roman foldiers? Yes! the difciples Dole the body while the foldiers Dept. A Dory fo inconfiflent, and which fo evidently carries the marksof it's own confutation with it, deferves no anfwer. Thepi-kits themfelves could not be fo Dupid as not to forefee what confiruc- tions the world would put upon the relation of perfons, who pretended to know and tell what was done while they were afleep, and in aRate of infenfibility. CHAPTER
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