"I will be thy bite;" or according to the Hebrew, “I
"will tear thee with my teeth (10)." Which St. Paul ren-
ders by an interrogation: "O death, where is thy victory ?”
Or conquering power. The fame Prophet faid in ano-
ther place (11). "He will revive us after two days: on
the third day he will raife us up, and we fhall live in his
fight," &c. The plural number is here put, because Chrift
raised his elect with him, or the fouls of all men by his vic-
tory for them. Those who would understand this paffage of
fome temporal deliverance can find none of the time here
minutely fet down on the third day. And the most learned
Rabbins themselves, quoted by Galatinus and Pocock have.
always understood this paffage of the effiah, delivering
or raifing up his people. Ifaiah tells us, that the Prince of
the world flattered himself he fhould be able to hold it for
ever captive, and should extinguish light in its very source by
the death of Chrift, and swallow up him who is the Refur-
rection and the Life: but unknowingly contributed to his
own overthrow; for Chrift would deliver all nations.
"fhall caft death down headlong for ever: and the Lord
"God fhall wipe away tears from every face (12)." Da-
vid clearly spoke of Chrift's Refurrection when in the perfon
of Chrift he faid: "I forefaw the Lord always before my
"face; for he is on my right hand that I should not be mov
"ed. Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was
"glad moreover also my flesh fhall reft in hope, because
"thou wilt not leave my foul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer
"thy holy One to fee corruption (13)." St. Peter preaching
to the Jews (14), fhews that David fpoke this under his
own perfon of the Meffiah, who according to the flesh was
to defcend from him, and fit on his throne, or reign over
the people of God. For David's body remained and putri-
fied in his fepulchre, which "is with us even to this day,"
fays the Apostle. Therefore he fpoke this of Chrift who
rofe alive out of the grave, "and faw no corruption;"
whereof adds he, "we are witneffes." This reasoning of

"He

St.

(10) Ofe. xiii. 14. 1 Cor. xv. 53. See Pocock, p. 669, 672. (11) Ofe. vi. 3 and 4. See on this paffage Tert. adverf. Judæos, c. 13. S. Cypr. adv. Judæ. c. 25. S. Cyr. Hier. cap. 14. n. 14. S. Aug. 1. xviii. De Civit. c. 28. S. Hier. hic 9. S. Greg. M. Hom. 20. in Ezech. S. Bern. Serm. in die Pafchæ, n. 8. See our Interpretation on this Paffage proved by Dr. Hammond in c. 12. Mat. and by Dr. Pocock Com. on Hofea, ch. vi. v. 2. p. 253, 254, 255. T. ii.

(12) Ifa. xxiv. 8. (14) A&t. ii. 43.

(13) Pf. xv. (Hebr. xvi.) 8, 9, 10.

St. Peter was very well understood by the Jews, and fo convincing, that "three thousand fouls were that day added to "the church," and baptized into the faith of Christ. St. Paul alfo urged this fame paffage (15). Besides express words of prophecy (e), feveral predictions of this and other mysteries were held forth in types and figures, which are clear and unexceptionable when applied by Chrift himself, especially when, not for illuftration, but in the fpirit of prophecy, as that of Jonas's being three days and three nights in the whale's belly (16).

Chrift often clearly foretold his Refurrection during the course of his miniftry. After his transfiguration he gave this charge to the three difciples who had attended him: "Tell the vifion to no man, until the Son of man be risen

again from the dead (17)." In another place he said to his difciples: "But after I am rifen, I will go before you "into Galilee (18)." Again: "From that time forth Je"fus began to fhew to his difciples, how that he must go to "Jerufalem, and fuffer many things of the Elders and "chief Priefts and Scribes, and be killed, and be raifed again the third day (19)." When he foretold his fufferings and death, he added: "And the third day he shall rise "again (20)."

Yet thefe predictions were but imperfectly understood, or attended to by his difciples themselves till after their accomplishment, as the Apostles themselves affure us (21). Therefore after the death of their master, they fell into a state, not of defpair or infidelity, but of perplexity and confufion, not knowing by what means Chrift now dead would fave them, and having no expectation of his Refurrection for the prefent. This their dulnefs and flowness in understanding ferved

(15) A&t. xiii. 35. -xxix. 1, 2. Pf. xlviii. cxii. 7, 8. Ifa. xxv. 8. (17) Mat. xviii. 9.

(16) Jon. ii. 1. Mat. xii. 40. See Pf. iii. 6. 16. Pf. iv. 12. Pf. lxx. 23. Pf. lxxvii. 5. Pl. Ofe. vi. 3. Ofe. xiii. 14. Soph. iii. 8.

(18) Mat. xxvi. 32. (19) Mat. xvi. 22. (20) Mat. xx. 18, 19. (21) Luke, xxiv. 37, &c.

(e) Jofephus, the Jewish hiftorian, in his famous teftimony concerning Chrift, writes (1. 18. Antiqu. c. 4.) "After three days he appear"ed to them raised again to life, feeing the divine Prophets had fore"told of him this and other wonderful things." And the celebrated Rabbin Jehuda Haccadofh fays, "The foul of the Meffias after three "days fhall return to the body, and go out of the ftone under which he "was buried." See the book of R. Abraham, entitled, Revelans Arcana, quoted by Galatinus and Huetius.

ferved to render the evidence and the glorious effects of this mystery more illuftrious. Yet even the Jewish Priests had heard that he had foretold he should rife again on the third day (22).

O

СНА Р. II.

The Hiftory of CHRIT'S RESURRECTION.

UR divine Lord expired on Good-Friday about three of the clock in the afternoon, and his body was laid in the fepulchre before the stars appeared, when the Sabbath begun, at the first Vefpers or evening: nay, an hour before funfet, the Jews being accuftomed, for greater caution, to begin the Sabbatical reft from all kind of work fo early. It was a new monument hewed or hollowed into a rock in a garden, not far from the place of our Lord's crucifixion, which Jofeph of Arimathea had made for his own use. His fepulchre was that of the rich, and most honourable, though his death had been like that of the wicked, and both most ignominious and cruel (23), which circumstances had been foretold by Ifaiah. His burial was performed by the care of Jofeph of Arimathea, a rich man, and an honourable counsellor (24), affifted by Nicodemus, a Pharifee of diftinction, a ruler among the Jews, and a mafter in Ifrael (25); and his body was wrapped in linen clothes, with a mixture of myrth and aloes, about an hundred pound weight. Jofeph with his affiftants had fhut up the mouth of the fepulchre with a great stone (26). In a MS. copy of St. Luke's gofpel ufed by Beza, it is faid, that 20 men could hardly roll it. St. Mark tells us, "it was very great (27)." The chief Priefts of the Jews witnefs that the body of Christ was still in the fepulchre, the evening after the Sabbath was over; for they obtained of Pilate leave to place a guard to watch the fepulchre, pretending to apprehend that his difciples might come by night, and fteal away the body, and then give out that he was rifen, according to what he himfelf had predicted while he was yet alive. They accordingly fet a guard, made fure the fepulchre, and put a feal upon the ftone, which clofed up the entrance. They probably made their application to Pilate towards the close of the Sabbath, after the religious duties of the day were over; but

(22) Luke, xxviii, 64. xxvii. 57. Mark xv. 43. xv. 47. Mat. xxvii. 61.

(23) Ifa. xix. 41, 42. (25) John xix. 39, 40. (27) Mark xvi.

would

(24) Mat. (26) Mark

would never go with the Roman foldiers, and put the feal during the Sabbatical reft. That they did it on the day after the preparation to the Sabbath, or after Friday, we are affured by St. Matthew (28). The time of Chrift's Refurrection is gathered from that when the earthquake happened, which was about break of day on the Sunday-morning. For the pious women having bought, mingled, and prepared more unguents and fpices to finish the embalming of the precious body of the Lord, which work the Sabbath had obliged them to leave imperfect, they fet out very early in the morning, as St. Mark and St. John fay: the latter writes, "when it was yet dark ;" and St. Matthew, "the "day beginning to dawn." St. Mark fays, they came "At the rifing of the fun," but means the time of their arrival at the fepulchre. The earthquake, and the defcent of the angel happened after they fet out, and before their arrival (29), between the dawning of the day and the funrifing. For all the expreffions of the Evangelifts denote the ending of the night, and the beginning of the day.

The most glorious and ftupendous myftery of Christ's rifing from the dead, of an angel defcending in terrors, opening his fepulchre, and frightening away the foldiers who were fet to guard it, with other amazing incidents; the greatest of all victories, the triumph of the Son of God over fin and hell, are related in the Gofpels nakedly and plainly, without any of the colourings and heightenings of rhetoric, or fo much as a fingle note of admiration; without any comment or remark upon them, or any conclufion drawn from any circumftance. This manner of writing best fuits mysteries fuperior to all the power of words, and incomprehenfible in themselves. It fhews the fincerity of the facred penmen, and how strongly they were under the influence of the divine fpirit, fo as not to liften to the fuggeftions of human wisdom or paffions which could not fail to call in the ornaments of rhetoric, and the arts of logick, to endeavour to fet forth fuch wonders in the blaze of their divine light. But their unbiaffed fimplicity is more noble in itself, and is analogous to the method which the all-wife spirit of God has pursued in all his works, efpecially in the greatest of them, that of our Redemption by the humility of the Incarnation and Death of God the Son. This filence, or this fewness of words and fimplicity is more ftrongly affecting, and more proper to convince the understanding than the most pompous

(28) Mat. xxvii, 63.

(29) Matt. xxviii, 1, 2.

pompous eloquence. But in the contemplation of this myftery, the strongest emotions and glowing fentiments of the heart ought continually to break forth in tranfports of adoration, love, thanksgiving and praife. In this fpirit muft we read the evangelical narration of this wonderful mystery.

St. Matthew and St. Mark clearly diftinguifh at least two companies of pious women, vifiting the fepulchre early on the Sunday morning, and two appearances of angels (a), which many interpreters have confounded together. Mary Magdalen, and the other Mary fet out first very early to take a view of the fepulchre, and fee in what condition it was (30), fo reftlefs was their love, that they had not patience to wait for the fpices which they left for the other company to bring after them. Magdalene was on the road, when, behold, a great earthquake happened: "For the angel of "the Lord defcended from heaven, and coming, rolled "back the stone, and fat upon it. His countenance was as lightning, and his raiment as fnow; and for fear of "him the guards were ftruck with terror, and became as "dead men." At the time when the earthquake was felt round the monument, the Saviour of the world arofe by his own power and strength, and came forth living, glorious and triumphant, piercing the ftone that closed the mouth of the monument, as many ancient Fathers aver (31). Then an angel defcended, removed the ftone and feated himfelf upon it; at which fight the guards were feized with dread and confternation, and fell into a fwoon or trance (b). Magdalene arriving at the fepulchre, and feeing the stone taken away, in furprize and fear ran and told St. Peter and St. John, "They have taken away the Lord, and we know not where they have laid him (32)." She had then feen no angel or other vifion, or the would have mentioned it. Peter and John ran straight to the fepulchre; the latter outran Peter, and stooping and looking in, faw the linen clothes lying, yet went not in, waiting for Peter, who coming up went into the fepulchre, and faw the linen clothes lie, and the napkin that was about his head, wrapped together in a place by itfelf. Then St. John alfo went in, and faw the fame,

(30) Mat. xxviii. 1, 2, 3, 4. Chrifti, Corn. a Lap. &c.

(31) See Suarez, de Myfteriis (32) John xx.

(a) See this demonftrated in Obfervations on the Hiftory and Evidences of the Refurrection of J. C. by Gilbert Weft, p. 22.

(b) Mr. Weft will have it that Chrift rofe whilft the foldiers were in this trance, and that they did not fee him.