the body. John xx. 4. So they ran both together; and the other disciple did out-run Peter, and came first to the sepulchre. 5. And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in. As Christ's feet had lain in the farthermost right corner of the sepulchre, it is natural to think, that when he revived, stood up, and put off his grave-clothes, he would leave them in that corner where they might easily be seen by John, though he did not enter, just as the women saw the angel who sat in that corner, before they descended. 6. Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie; 7. And the napkin that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. After Jesus revived it was necessary that he should strip himself of the rollers, in order to his being clothed with garments fit for motion and action. Some think that he folded up the napkin to shew the perfect calmness and composure with which he arose, as out of an ordinary sleep. But whatever be in this, certain it is that he left the grave-clothes in the sepulchre, to shew that his body was not stolen away by his disciples, who, in such a case, would not have taken time to strip it. Besides, the circumstance of the grave-clothes disposed the disciples themselves to believe, when the resurrection was related to them. The garments which Jesus formed for himself, seem to have been but mean, such as he used in his life-time. For when Mary Magdalene first saw him, she took him for the gardener; and the disciples going to Emmaus, thought him a person in rank not superior to themselves. 8. Then went in also that other disciple which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw and believed. Finding nothing in the sepulchre but the clothes, he believed the body was taken away, as Mary Magdalene had told him. This, as I take it, is all that John means, when he tells us, that Peter and he, after searching the sepulchre, saw and believed. Mary Magdalene, it would appear, had told them not only that the body was taken away, but that the clothes were left behind; a circumstance which filled them with wonder. They saw them, however, with their own eyes, and believed her report. Perhaps they imagined, that Joseph or Nicodemus had removed it, after having embalmed it anew, and swathed it with other rollers than those they left behind. For that they had not the least suspicion of Christ's resurrection, is evident from the apology which John himself makes for the stupidity of the disciples in this matter. 9. For as yet they knew not the Scripture, that he must rise again from the dead. And as they did not know from the Scripture, nor from our Lord's own predictions, that he was to rise again, so neither could they collect it from any thing Mary Magdalene had told them; for she herself had not the least notion of it, even when Jesus appeared to her, as is plain from what she says in

the

the 13th and 15th verses. 10. Then the disciples went away again unto their own home. 11. But Mary stood without at the sepulchre, weeping. It seems she had followed Peter and John to the sepulchre, but did not return home with them, being anxious to find the body. Accordingly, stepping down into the sepulchre to examine it again, she saw two angels sitting, the one at the head, the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. From her seeing both the angels, it is probable that she was on the second step of the stair, with an intention to descend. Or if, from her turning about and seeing Jesus, who stood without the sepulchre, it is thought she was on the threshold or first step only, with a design to look in, she may be supposed to have bowed her body so as to have had the whole cavity of the sepulchre under her eye at once. Thus she could see the two-angels, who a little before had appeared in the same position to the women with the spices, (Luke xxiv. 4.) but had kept themselves invisible all the while that Peter and John were in the sepulchre. And as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre. 12. And seeth two angels in white, sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. 13. And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him. 14. And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, probably being affrighted, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. The tears in her eyes, and the new garments wherewith Jesus was clad, made her at a loss to know him, till he called her by her name with his usual tone of voice. 15. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. She thought they had removed him, because he was troublesome in the sepulchre. 16. Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turneth herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni, which is to say, Master. She knew him by his voice and countenance. Wherefore, falling down, she would have embraced his knees, (see Matt. xxviii. 9. § 152.) according to that modesty and reverence with which the women of the east saluted the men, especially those who were their superiors in station. 2 Kings iv. 27. Luke vii. 38. Matt. xxviii. 9. But Jesus refused this compliment, telling her that he was not going immediately into heaven. He was to shew himself often to his disciples before he ascended, so that she would have frequent opportunities of testifying her regard to him. Moreover, by ordering her to carry the news of his resurrection to his disciples, he insinuated that it was altogether improper to waste the time in paying him the compliments of salutation. 17. Jesus saith

unts

unto her, * Touch me not, for I am not yet ascended to my Father; but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father and your Father, and to my God and your God. The manner in which Jesus notified his resurrection to his disciples deserves attention. He sent them a message of such a nature as to put them in mind of what he had, in his life-time, told them concerning his ascension into heaven. Go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father and your Father: Do not barely tell my disciples that I am risen from the dead, but that I am about to fulfil the promise I made them of ascending where I was before; and that I am going to my Father's house to prepare mansions for them; and that they can no longer doubt of these things, seeing I am risen from the dead, and thus far on my way to heaven. Thus Jesus having finished the work of our redemption, contemplated the effects of it with singular pleasure. The blessed relation between God and man, which had been long cancelled by sin, was now happily renewed. God, who had disowned them on account of their rebellion, was again reconciled to them; he was become their God and Father; they were exalted to the honourable relation of Christ's brethren, and God's children; and their Father loved them with an affection greatly superior to that of the most tender-hearted parent. The kindness of this message will appear above all praise, if we call to mind the late behaviour of the persons to whom it was sent. They had every one of them forsaken Jesus in his greatest extremity; but he graciously forgave them, and to assure them of their pardon, called them by the endearing name of his brethren, Go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father and your Father, and to my God and my God and your God. Thus Mark xvi. 9. (Now) when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils." See the note in p. 790.

There is something very remakable in this passage of the history. None of the apostles or male disciples were honoured with the first visions of the angels, or with the immediate news of Christ's resurrection, far less with the first appearances of Jesus himself. The angels in the sepulchre kept themselves invisible

all

John 17. Touch me not.] In the Jewish language, to touch often signi-“ fies to embrace with affection and regard. Thus, Mark x. 13. "And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them," that is, express his affection to them by the imposition of his hands, accompanied with blessing; accordingly it is added, "He took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them." Thus also, Luke viii. 38. Simon the Pharisee bbserving a woman that was a sinner washing Jesus' feet with her tears, and kissing them, expressed her action by the word lcd. "This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who, and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him," i. e, embraces and kisses his feet. In this sense likewise the word touch was used by our Lord on the present occasion.

all the while Peter and John were there. Perhaps the male disciples in general had this mark of disrepect put on them, both because they had, with shameful cowardice, forsaken their Master when he fell into the hands of his enemies, and because their faith was so weak, that they had absolutely despaired of his being Messiah when they saw him expire on the cross, Luke xxiv. 21. How different was the conduct of the women! Laying aside the weakness and timidity natural to their sex, they shewed an uncommon magnanimity on this melancholy occasion. For in contradiction to the whole nation, who with loud voices required that Jesus should be crucified as a deceiver, they proclaimed his innocence by their tears and cries, when they saw him led out to be crucified; accompanied him to the cross, the most infamous of all punishments; kindly waited on him in the dolorous moments, giving him what consolation was in their power, though at the same time they could not look on him without being pierced to the very heart; and when he expired and was carried off, they went with him to his grave, not despairing, though they found he had not delivered himself, but to appearance was conquered by death, the universal enemy of mankind. Perhaps the women entertained some faint hopes still that he would revive; or, if they did not entertain expectations of that kind, they at least cherished a strong degree of love to their Lord, and resolved to do him all the honour in their power. This incomparable strength of faith, and love, and fortitude, expressed by the women, was distinguished with very high marks of the Divine approbation. In preference to the male disciples, they were honoured with the news of Christ's resurrection, and had their eyes gladdened with the first sight of their beloved Lord after he arose, so that they preached the joyful tidings of his resurrection to the apostles themselves. There may have been other reasons also for Christ's shewing himself first to the women. The thoughts of the apostles or male disciples having run perpetually on a temporal kingdom, they had wrested all his words into an agreement with that notion; and what they could not make consistent therewith, they seem either to have disbelieved, or to have wholly overlooked. Hence, notwithstanding Jesus had foretold his own sufferings no less than nine different times, (see vol. i. p. 42.) they were exceedingly astonished when they saw him expire. Immortality and terrestrial dominion were, in their opinion, the characteristics of Messiah; for which reason, when they found that, instead of establishing himself in the possession of universal empire, he had not delivered himself from an handful of enemies, nor from death, they gave up all their hopes at once, Luke xxiv. 21. And as for his resurrection, they seem to have had no expectation of it at all; in so much, that when the news of it was first brought them, they looked on it as an idle tale. It was not VOL. II.

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so with the women. They were more submissive to their Master's instructions, John xi. 26, 27. and consequently were better prepared for seeing him after his resurrection than the apostles and other male disciples. For though they were not expecting his resurrection, they had no prejudice against it. This cannot be said of the apostles, who not only rejected the matter absolutely, at first, as a thing incredible, but even after the accounts which the soldiers had given; nay, after they had seen Jesus himself, some of them were so unreasonable as to doubt still. How much rather would their incredulity have led them to suspect his appearing as an allusion, had he shewed himself to them before the reports mentioned led them to recollect the arguments proper for disposing them to believe; particularly the prophecies that had been so often delivered, in their own hearing, concerning his resurrection. Hence the angels, when they told this event to the women, and desired them to carry the news of it to the disciples, they put them in mind of Christ's own prediction, as a confirmation of it. Hence also, before Jesus had made himself known to the disciples at Emmaus, he prepared them for the discovery by expounding to them on the road the several prophecies concerning Messiah, contained in the Old Testament.

CLII. The company of women set out for the sepulchre a second time, in quest of Peter and John. Jesus meets them, and bids them tell his disciples to go into Galilee, promising to shew himself unto them there. Matt. xxviii. 9, 10.

"WHILE Peter and John, with Mary Magdalene, were at the sepulchre, the company of women returned to the city, and told as many of the disciples as they could find, that at the sepulchre they had seen a vision of angels, who assured them that Jesus was risen. This new information astonished the disciples exceedingly. Wherefore, as they had sent out Peter and John to examine the truth of what Mary Magdalene had told them concerning the body's being taken away, they would judge it more proper to send some of their number to see the angels, and hear from them the joyful tidings of which the women had given them an account. This is no conjecture, for the disciples going to Emmaus affirm expressly, that when the women came saying they had seen a vision of angels, who said that Jesus was alive, certain of their number went to the sepulchre, and found it even as the women had said, but him they saw not, Luke xxiv. 22. This second deputation from the apostles did not go alone. For as Mary Magdalene returned to the sepulchre with Peter and John, who were sent to examine the truth of her information, so the women who brought word of the vision, might return with those who were sent to be witnesses to the truth of their report. Besides curiosity, they had an errand thither. The angels had ordered

them