Matt, xxviii. 6. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.
AMIDST all the indignities offered to our blessed Lord by the Jewish nation at large, some friends there were who sympathized with him, and desired to mani- fest towards him all the respect and love which their circumstances would admit of. He had now been put to death, and was committed to the tomb without any of those distinctions which were customarily attendant on an honourable interment. Some women, there- fore, to whom he was dear, brought, very early after the Sabbath, spices, wherewith to embalm his sacred body. They knew not, indeed, how they should be able to execute their intentions ; seeing that a great stone had been placed at the door of his sepulchre, to prevent any one from getting access to the body, to remove it. They came, however, to the sepulchre; and, to their great surprise, *' saw the stone rolled away from the sepulchre, and an angel sitting upon it. The angel's countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow." At this sight, they were greatly alarmed : but the angel speedily composed their minds ; saying, " Fear not ye : for I know that ye seek Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here, but is risen. Come, see the place where the Lord lay."
Now, believing that you all desire to testify your respect to the Saviour this day% I would say to you. Come to the sepulchre, where he was deposited, and from whence he rose ; " Come, see the place where the Lord lay." Come, I say, and see there, I. A witness for him —
Behold, that empty tomb witnesses to you, in most decisive terms,
1. The truth of his mission —
[On his resurrection had our blessed Lord rested the whole of his claims to credibility as the appointed Messiah. At the
^ Easter-Day.