loud voice (in articulo mortis) as he did,|| could have kept himself from dying if he would. Hence we learn, That when Christ died, he rather conquered death than was conquered by death. He must voluntarily and freely lay down his life, before death could come at him. He yielded up the ghost. O wonderful sight! the Lord of life hangs dead, dead on the accursed tree. O severe and inexorable justice in God! O amazing and astonishing love in Christ! love beyond expression, beyond conception, beyond all comprehension; with what comparison shall we compare it! Verily with nothing but itself; never was love like thine.

51 And, behold, the vail of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; 52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, 53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. 54 Now when the centurion, and they that were with him watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God. 55 And many women were there, beholding afar off, which followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him; 56 Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's children.

Here we have an account of several extraordinary and wonderful things which occurred and fell out about the time that our Saviour died. 1. The vail of the temple rent asunder. That is, the hanging which parted the holy from the most holy place, to hide the mysteries therein, namely, the ark of the covenant and mercy-seat, from the view of the ordinary priests. This vail was now rent from the top to the bottom, and the rending of it did import these great mysteries: 1. That now our great HighPriest was entering into the most holy place with his own blood, having made the atonement for us: Heb. ix. 12. By his own blood he entered once into the most holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. 2. That the means whereby he entered into the most holy place, was by the rending of his humanity, his soul from his body, typified by rending of this vail; accordingly his body is called a vail, Heb. x. 20. Consecrated through the vail of his flesh. 3.

That now by the death of Christ all those dark mysteries vailed up formerly in the most holy place, as the ark of the covenant and mercy-seat, are now unfolded and laid open, and the use of the whole ceremonial law at an end, and the Jewish temple-service ceased. 4. That now the kingdom of heaven, the most holy place, is open to all believers. Christ, our great High Priest, is entered in with his own blood, and hath not closed the vail after him, but rent it asunder, and made and left a passage for all believers to follow him, first in their prayers, and next in their persons. See Heb. x. 19, 20. Having therefore boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a for us through the vail, that is to say, his flesh; new and living way, which he hath consecrated let us draw near with a true heart, &c. Observe, 2. The earth quaked. As there was an universal eclipse, so likewise an universal earthquake, at our Lord's crucifixion, which did awaken many of the saints (that died before our Saviour's incarnation) out of their dead sleep. These arose both as witnesses of Christ's resurrection, and also as sharers in it. But none of them arose till Christ was risen, he being the First-fruits of them that slept. And those attended him to heaven at his ascension. holy persons that arose with him, possibly From hence we learn, That Christ was the Saviour of those who believed in him before his incarnation, as well as those that believed in him since his incarnation; and that the former are partakers of the fruit and benefit of his death and resurrection, no less than the latter. Others conjecture, that those who rose out of their graves were such as believed in Christ, and died before him, as old Simeon, &c. Accordingly they understand St. John v. 25: The hour is coming, and now is, that the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of man, of this resurrection here mentioned. And whereas it is said they went into the holy city, and appeared to many; it is probable they were known to them unto whom they did appear; and if so, they must have lived in the time of their knowledge. Observe next, What influence and effect the sight of those prodigious things had upon the centurion and the soldiers; it convinced them, that verily this was the Son of God. Here, we see the heathen soldiers are sooner convinced of the divinity of Christ than the unbelieving Jewish doctors. Obstinacy and unbelief filled their minds with an invincible preju dice against Christ; so that neither the miracles done by him in his life, nor wrought at his death, could convince the high priests, that Christ was any other than an impostor and deceiver. Observe lastly, Who of

Christ's friends were witnesses of his death: They are women, who followed him from Galilee, and ministered unto him; not one of his dear disciples, except St. John, who stood by the cross with the Virgin Mary. What a shame was this for the apostles to be absent from a spectacle upon which the salvation of the whole world did depend; and what an honour was this to the female sex in general, and to these women in particular, that they had the courage to follow Christ to the cross, when all the disciples forsook him and fled; God can make women glorious professors of his truth, and arm them against the fears of sufferings, contrary to the natural timorousness of their tempers. These women wait upon Christ's cross, when apostles fly,and durst not come near it. 57 When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple: 58 He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. 59 And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60 And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed. 61 And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre.

and with the rich, in his death. (2.) They were good men, as well as rich men; disciples, though secretly, for fear of the Jews. Grace doth not always make a public and open show where it is. As there is much secret riches in the bowels of the earth which no eye ever saw, so there may be grace in the heart of a Christian, which the world takes no notice of. We never heard any news of Joseph of Arimathea till now; yet was he eminently rich, wise, and good: a worthy, though a close disciple. Much grace may be where little is seen. Some gracious persons cannot put forward and discover themselves like others, and yet such weak Christians perhaps, when a trial comes, shall stand their ground, when stronger run away.-We read of none of the apostles at Christ's funeral; fear had chased them away, though they professed a readicodemus appear boldly for him. Let it be ness to die with Christ: but Joseph and Nia caution to strong Christians, neither to glory in themselves, nor to glory over the weak. If God desert the strong, and assist the weak, the feeble shall be as David, and the strong as tow. Observe, 3. The mourners that that followed him out of Galilee, and parfollowed the hearse; namely, the women ticularly the two Maries: a very poor train of mourners, a few sorrowful women. Others are attended to their graves by their relations and friends; but Christ's disciples were all scattered, and afraid to

own him either dying or dead. Our blessed Lord affected no pomp or gallantry in his life, and it was no way suitable either to Here we have an account given of our the end or manner of his death. HumiliLord's funeral and interment in the grave: ation was designed in his death, and his such a funeral as never was since graves burial was the lowest degree of his humiwere first digged. Concerning which we liation. Observe, 4. The grave or sepulhave these particulars observable: Observe, chre in which they buried him; it was in a 1. The preparatives that were made for our garden. As by the sin of the first Adam Lord's funeral; namely, the begging and we were driven out of the garden of pleaperfuming of his dead body; his body could sure, the earthly paradise; so by the sufnot be buried, till by begging it was obtain-ferings of the second Adam, who lay buried ed of Pilate; the dead bodies of malefactors being in the power and disposal of the judge. Pilate grants it, and to manifest their dear affection to their dead Lord, they wrapt the body in fine linen with spices to perfume it. But what need of odours for that body which could not see corruption? Though his holy body did not want them, yet the affections of his friends could not withhold them. Observe, 2. The bearers that carried his body to the grave, or the persons concerned in solemnizing his funeral: Joseph of Arimathea, and Nicodemus, two rich men, and two secret disciples. (1.) They were rich men, senators, honourable counseilors; and so that prophecy was fulfilled, Isa. liii. 9. He made his grave with the wicked, VOL. I.-20

in a garden, we may hope for an entrance into the heavenly paradise. It was in a sepulchre hewn out of a rock; that so his enemies might have no occasion to cavil, and say, that his disciples stole him away by secret holes, or unseen passages under ground. And it was in a new sepulchre, in which never any man was laid, lest his adversaries should say, it was some other that was risen, or that he rose from the dead by touching some other corpse. Observe, 5. The manner of our Lord's funeral; hastily, openly, decently celebrated. It was done in haste, by reason of the straits of time, the preparation for the passover caused them to be very expeditious; the sabbath was approaching, and they

lay all business aside to prepare for that. by his own lying in it: so that a pillow of Learn hence, How much it is our duty to down is not so soft to a believer's head as despatch our worldly business as early as a pillow of dust. Observe lastly, of what we can towards the end of the week, that use the doctrine of our Lord's burial may we may be the better prepared to sanctify be unto us. 1. For instruction; here we the Lord's day, if we live to enjoy it. We see the amazing depths of our Lord's huought to remember that day before it comes, miliation. From what, to what, his love and to sanctify it when it is come. Again, brought him; even from the bosom of his our Lord was buried openly, as well as Father, to the bosom of a grave. Now the hastily; all persons had liberty to be spec- depth of his humiliation shows us the fultators, that none might object there was any ness and sufficiency of his satisfaction as fraud or deceit used in or about his burial. well as the heinousness of our transgresHe was also interred decently, his body sion. 2. For consolation against the fears wrapt in fine linen, and perfumed with of death and the grave. The grave reodours, according to the Jewish custom, ceived Christ, but could not retain him. which used not to unbowel, but embalm Death swallowed him up, as the fish did their dead. Observe, 6. The reason why Jonas, but quickly vomited him up again; our Lord was buried, seeing he was to rise so shall it fare with Christ mystical, as it again in as short a time as other men lie did with Christ personal: the grave could by the walls; and had his dead body re- not long keep him, it shall not for ever mained a thousand years unburied, it could keep us: as his body rested in hope, so have seen no corruption, having never shall ours also; and though they see corbeen tainted with sin. Sin is the cause of ruption, which he did not, yet shall they the body's corruption, it is sin that makes not always lie under the power of corrup our bodies stink worse than carrion when tion. In a word, Christ's lying in the grave they are dead. A funeral then was not ne- has changed and altered the nature of the cessary for Christ's body upon the same grave; it was a prison before, a bed of rest accounts that it is necessary for ours. But, now; a loathsome grave before, a perfumed 1. He was buried to declare the certainty bed now. He whose head is in heaven, of his death, and the reality of his resur- need not fear to put his foot into the grave. rection; and for this reason did God's pro- Awake and sing, thou that dwellest in the dust, vidence order it, that he should be embalm- for the enmity of the grave is slain by ed, to cut off all pretensions. For in this Christ. 3. For imitation; let us study and kind of embalming, his mouth, his ears, and endeavour to be buried with Christ, in rehis nostrils, were all filled with spices and spect of our sins: I mean, Rom. vi. 4. buriodours, so that there could be no latented with him into death. Our sins should be principle of life in him; being thus buried then, declares him to be certainly dead. 2. He was buried to fulfil the types and prophecies that went before concerning him. Jonas's being three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, was a type of Christ's being three days and three nights in the heart of the earth; and the prophet, Isa. liii. 9. had declared the manner of his funeral long before he was born. He made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in || his death. Pointing by that expression at this tomb of Joseph's, who was a rich man; and the scriptures cannot be broken. 3. He was buried to complete his humiliation; They have brought me to the dust of death, says, David, a type of Christ. This was the lowest step he could possibly descend in his abased state; lower he could not be laid, and so low his blessed head must be laid, else he had not been humbled to the lowest. 4. He went into the grave that he might conquer death in its own territories and dominions. Christ's victory over the grave causes his saints to triumph,and sing, grave, where is thy destruction! Our blessed Lord has perfumed the bed of the grave

as a dead body, in several respects. Are dead bodies removed far from the society of men? So should our sins be removed far from us. Do dead bodies in the grave spend and consume away by little and little? So should our sins daily. Will dead bodies grow every day more and more loathsome to others! So should our sins be to ourselves. Do dead bodies wax out of memory, and are quite forgotten? So should our sins, in respect of any delight that we take in remembering of them. We should always remember our sins to our humiliation; but never think or speak of them with the least delight or satisfaction; for this, in God's account, is a new commission of them, and lays us under an additional guilt.

62 Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, 63 Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again. 64 Command

therefore that the sepulchre be made | sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first. 65 Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can. 66 So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.

TN the end of the sabbath, as it be

gan to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.

The Lord of life was buried upon the Friday, in the evening of that day on which he was crucified; and his holy body rested in the silent grave the next day, and a part of the morning of the day following. Thus he arose again the third day, neither sooner nor later; not sooner, lest the truth of his death should have been questioned, that he did not die at all; and not later, lest the faith of his disciples should have failed. And accordingly, when the sabbath was past, and it dawned towards the

$ This last paragraph of the chapter acquaints us with the endeavours that the murderers of Christ used to prevent his foretold resurrection: they ask and obtain of Pilate, that his sepulchre may be strong-first day of the week, in the morning very early, ly guarded till the third day was past and before day, Mary Magdalene and other deover, when probably they intended to have vout women go to visit the sepulchre, inexposed his dead body to the view of the tending with their spices and odours farther people; and accordingly a three-fold guard to embalm our Lord's body. But observe, is set about the grave; the stone, the seal, Although the hearts of these good women and the watch; concluding that Christ was did burn with an ardent love and zeal to safe enough either from rising or stealing; their crucified Lord, yet the commanded the stone making the grave sure, the seal duties of the sabbath are not omitted by making the stone sure, and the watch or them; they stay till the sabbath is ended, band of soldiers making all sure. The and then early in the morning they go with stone being sealed with the public seal, no odours in their hands to perfume his sacred person might meddle with it upon pain of corpse; fearing neither the darkness of death. Where note, 1. the wonderful wis- the night, nor the presence of the watchdom, the overruling power and providence, men; how great a tribute of respect and of God; by this excessive care and extra- honour is due and payable to these women ordinary diligence, the high priests hoped for their magnanimity and courage! They to prevent our Saviour's resurrection, but followed Christ, when his disciples left the truth and belief of it was hereby con- him; they accompanied him to his cross, firmed to all the world. How much evi- and followed his hearse to the grave, when dence had Christ's resurrection wanted, if none of his disciples durst appear. Learn the high priests and elders had not been hence, That courage is the special and pethus maliciously industrious to prevent his culiar gift of God; and where God gives rising! Learn, 2. That the endeavours courage, it is not in man to make afraid. used to obstruct our Lord's resurrection, 2 And, behold, there was a great have rendered it more certain and undoubt-earthquake: for the angel of the ed: had not all this care and caution been Lord 'descended from heaven, and used by his enemies, the grounds of our faith had not been so strong, so evident, and so clear. It was very happy that the Jews were thus jealous and suspicious. thus careful and distrustful; for otherwise the world had never received so full and perfect an evidence of Christ's resurrection as now, whereupon all our comfort and salvation doth depend. Verily their solicitous care to suppress our Redeemer's resurrection has rendered it more conspicuous, and freed it from all suspicion of forgery.

came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. 3 His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: 4 And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.

Observe here, 1. With what pomp and triumph doth our Lord arise. The earth that quaked before at his crucifixion,quakes now again at his resurrection: it quaked then at the dissolution, now at the re-union, of his human nature, to tell the world that the God of nature then suffered, and now conquered. Observe, 2. How an angel is employed in Christ's resurrection; he rolls away the stone. But could not Christ have risen then without the angel's help? Yes,

succours him in his temptation in the wilderness; an angel comforts him in his agony in the garden; and at his resurrection an angel rolls away the stone from the sepulchre, and brings the first tidings of it to the

him company to heaven: and when he comes again to judgment, he shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels. Observe, 4. The persons to whom our Lord's resurrection was first made known, to wo

sure; he that raised himself, surely could have removed the stone; but God thinks fit to send an officer from heaven to open the prison door of the grave; and by setting our Surety at liberty, proclaims our debt to the divine justice fully satisfied. Be-women. In his ascension the angels bore sides, it was fit that the angels, who had been witnesses of our Saviour's passion, should also be witnesses of his resurrection. Observe, 3. How unable the keepers of the grave were to bear the sight and presence of the angel; They shook for fear, and be-men, to the two Maries. But why to the came as dead men. Angels being pure and women? God will make choice of weak perfect spirits, man is not able to bear the means for producing great effects, knowsight of an angel, no, not in human shape, ing that the weakness of the instrument without terror and affrightment; and if redounds to the greater honour of the agent. the sight of an angel be so dreadful, what In the whole dispensation of the gospel, is the sight of God himself? Almighty God intermixes divine power with human weakness. Thus the concep Holy Ghost; but his mother, a poor woman, a carpenter's spouse; so the crucifixion of Christ was in much meanness and outward baseness, being crucified be tween two thieves: but the powers of heaven and earth trembling, the rocks rending, and the graves opening, showed a mixture of divine power. God will honour what instruments he pleases, for the accomplishment of his own purposes. But why to these two women, the two Maries, is the discovery of Christ's resurrection first made? Possibly it was a reward for their magnanimity and masculine courage. These women cleaved to Christ when the apostles fled from him, and forsook him; they assisted at his cross, they attended at his funeral, they watched his sepulchre. These women had more courage than the apostles, therefore God makes the women apostles to the apostles; he sends them to tell the apostles of the resurrection, and they must have the news at the second hand. O what a tacit rebuke was thereby given to the apostles! a secret check, that they should be thus outdone by poor women. These holy women went before the apostles in the last services that were done for Christ, and therefore the apostles here come after them in their rewards and comforts. Observe, 5. The evidence which the angel offers to the women, to evince and prove the verity and certainty of our Saviour's resurrection; namely, by an appeal to their senses, Come, see the place where the Lord lay. The senses, when rightly dis posed, are the proper judges of all sensible objects; Christ himself did appeal to his disciples' senses concerning the truth of his own resurrection; Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: and indeed, if we must not believe our senses, we shall want the best external evidence for the proof of

5 And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for Ition of Christ was by the power of the know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. 6 He is not here; for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. 7 And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you. Observe here, 1. Our Lord's resurrection asserted and declared, He is risen. God never intended that the Darling of his soul should be lost in an obscure sepulchre. He is not here, says the angel; that is, in the grave, where you laid him, where you left him. Death hath lost its Prey, and the grave hath lost her Guest. Observe, 2. It is not said, he is not here, for he is raised, but, He is risen. The word imports the active power of Christ, or the self-quickening principle by which Christ raised himself from the dead. Acts i. 3. He showed himself alive after his passion. Learn hence, That it was the divine nature or Godhead of Christ, which raised his human nature from death to life. Others were raised from the grave by Christ's power, he raised himself by his own power. Observe, 3. The testimony or witness given to our Lord's resurrection; that of an angel: The angel soid, He is not here, but risen. But why is an angel the first publisher of our Lord's resurrection? Surely the dignity of our Lord's person, and the excellency of his resurrection, required that it should be first published by an angel, and accordingly it is worthy our observation, how very serviceable and officious the holy angels were in attending upon our Saviour in the days of his flesh; an angel foretells his conception to the blessed Virgin; an angel proclaims his birth to the shepherds; an angel