276 The NEW and COMPLETE LIFE of our BLESSED LORD After this, when the women had fatisfied their curiofity by looking at the place where our Lord had lain, and where no- thingwas tobe foimdbut the linen clothes, the angel who fink appeared to them re- fumed the difcourfe, and bade them go and tell his difciples, particularly Peter, the glad-tidings ofhis refurreEtion fróm the dead ; that he was going before them to Galilee ; and that they fhould there have the pleafure of feeing him in perfon. The difciples, it may reafonably be fup- .pofed, were ordered to go into Galilee to meet their great and beloved Mailer, be- caufe they were now moll of them in Jerufalem, celebrating the paffover ; and it may eafily be imagined that, on the receiving thenews of their Lord's refurrec- tion, many, if not all of them, would refolve to tarry in Jerufalem, in expeEla- tion of meeting him : a thing which mud have proved of great detriment to them at that time of.the year, when the harveft was about to begin, the fhcafof fird fruits being always offered on the fecond day of the paffover-week. In order therefore to prevent their flaying fo long from home, the meirage was fent direEting them to return into Galilee, with full affurance, that they lhouid there have the pleafure of fee- ing their great Lord and Mader ; and by that means be happily relieved from the fufpicion of his being an impodor, which doubtlefs had arifen in their minds, when they faw him expire on the crofs. Here- upon the women, highly elated with the news of their Lord's refurreElion, left the fepulchre immediately, and ran to carry the difciples thefe glad tidings. In the mean time, Peter and John, hav- ing been informed by Mary Magdalene, that the done was rolled away, and the body of Jesus not to be found, were haftening to the grave, and miffed the women who had feen this vifion of angels. Thefe difciples being adonilhed at what Mary Magdalene had told them, and de- firous of having their doubts cleared up, made all the hale poffible to the fepulchre ; 3 and John. being younger than Peter arrived at the fepulchre firft, but did not go in, contenting himfelf with looping down and feeing the linen clothes lying which had been wrapped about our Saviour's body. Peter loon arrived, and went into the fe- ulchre; where he faw the linen clothes lie; and the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in aplace by itfelf. It is the opinion of fome, that our dear Redeemer folded up the napkin, to drew the perfeft calmnefs and compofure with which he arofe, as out of a common fleep but however that be, it is certain that he left the grave clothes in the fepulchre, to {hew that his body was not Rolen away by his difciples, who in fuels a cafe would not have taken time to have dripped it: befides, the circumdance of the grave- clothes, difpofed the difciples themfelves to believe when the refurreElionwas related to them ; but at prefent they had not the lead fufpicion that he was rifen from the dead, as the angels had affirmed. Having thus fatisfied themfelves that what Mary Magdalene had told them was really true, thofe two difciples returned to their refpeElive habitations ; but Mary continued weeping at the door of the fepulchre: fhe had, it feems, followed Peter and John to the garden, but did not return with them, being anxious to find the body; accordingly, flapping down into the fe- pulchre to examine it once more, fhe.faw two angels fitting, the one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. They were now in the fame pofrtion, as when they appeared to the other women ; but had rendered them- felves invihble while Peter and John were at the fepulchre, feeking our Lord. Mary, beholding thefe heavenly mef- fengers dreffed in the robes ofdight, was greatly terrified : but they, in the mod endearing accent, afked her, Woman, why weepefi thon? To which the anfwered, Becaufe they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him. On pronouncing
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