and SAVIOUR, 7ESUS CHRIST, and his APOSTLES, &C. 27 pronouncing thefe words, the turned her- felf about, and faw Jesus landing near her; but the terror the was in, and the garments in which he was now drellèd, prevented her from knowing him for force time. Jesus repeated the fame queftion ufed before by the angel, Woman, why weepiell thou? To which Mary, who now fuppofed him to be the gardener, anfwered, Sir, if his body was troublefome in the fepulchre, and thou haft removed him, tell me where he is depofited, and I will take him away. But our bleffed Saviour, wil- ling to remove her anxiety, called her by her name, with his ufual tone of. voice. On which the immediately knew him ; and falling down before him, would have em- bracedhis knees, according to that modeiy and reverence with which the women of the eaft faluted the men, efpecially thofe who were their fuperiors in ftation and dignity. JESus refufed this compliment, telling her, that he was not going immediately into heaven : he was often to thew himfelf to his difciples before he afcended, fo that the would have frequent opportunities of ihewing her regard to him : and at the fame time, faid to her, Go to my brethren, andfay unto then, I a)(bend unto my father, andyour father; and to my God; andyour God. Thus did the bleffed JESUS con- template with a fingular pleafure, the work of redemption he had juít finned. The happy relation between God and man, which had been long cancelled by fin, was now renewed ; the Almighty, who had difownedthem on account oftheir rebellion, was again reconciled unto them ; he was become. their God and Father: they were exalted to the honourable relation of CHRtST'S brethren, and the fons of God ; and their father loved them with an affec- tion far exceeding that of the moi tender- hearted parent upon earth. The kindnefs of this meffage fent by our dear Redeemer to his difciples, will ap- pear above all praife, if we remember their late behaviour; they had every one of No. 24. them forfaken him inhis greateíl extremity : when he was fcourged and mocked by the Roman foldiers, derided by his country- men, and fpitefullÿ entreated by all, they hid themfelves in fome place of fafety, and preferred their own fecurity to the de- liverance of theirMager : when he fainted under the burden of his crofs, not one of them was there to affift him ; Simon, a Cyrenian, was compelled by the Roman foldiers to eafe him of this ponderous bur- den. But notwithftandingthey had refufed to shift their Mailer during his fufferings for the fins of the world, he gracioufly, he freely forgave them ; he affured them of their pardon, and even called them by the endearingname of brethren, notwithiand- ing their former fighting conduit. We cannot help obferving that there is fomething very remarkable in this part of the hiflory : none of the apoflles, or male- difciples were honoured with the firs vifions of the angels, or with the immediate news of the refurreétion of the Son of God, much lefs with the appearance of Jesus himfelf. The angels in the fepulchre kept themfelves invifible all the time that Peter and John were obferving the linen clothes, and fatisfying themfelves that the body of their Mailer was not there: perhaps the male difciples in general were treated with this mark of difrefpecl, both becaufe they had, with fhameful cowardice, forfaken their Maier when he was betrayed into the hands ofhis enemies, and becaufe their faith was fo weak that they had abfolutely defpaired of his being the Meffiah when they fawhim expire on the crofs : but how different was that conduit of the women 1 Laying afide the weaknefs and timidity natural to their fex, they (hewed an un- common magnanimity on this melancholy occafion ; for in contradiélion to the whole nation, who with one voice requiredJesus to be crucified as a deceiver, they pro- claimed his innocence by tears, cries, and lamentations, when they faw him led forth to Puffer on mount Calvary; accompanied him to the crofs, the molt infamous of all 3 X punifhments ;
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