}:: Quality, doubtleſs, made his Acceſs more free to Pilate. He wort In boldly to him (laith Mark :) his Quality in the City, and Þ: Love to Chriſt, borh contributed to this Boldneſs. For his more imv.rd Qualifications, Matthew and John both tell us ,_ was 2 Diſciple, one thar had learned of Chriſt; though 9/2" - 5 us it was ſecretly, for fear of the Jews, Joh. 12, 42. Among Ie Chief Rulers, many belizued on him. As bad as thar Ser 0i Rulers was, which now ruled the Jewiſh Afffairs, (and a worſe could mor be.) Chriſt had ſome Ditciples amoneſt them (as well as attcr- wird in Ner's Court) theſe, for tear of the Jews, caſting chem 0: of the Synagogues, durſt not openly own Chriſt, bur ſecret- ly loved him : Foſeph and Nicsdemus were to of chem. And by ler us know what the Diſciples of Chriſt are, and ſhould be 3 this Fep? 15 deſcribed by Luke to be a good and a juſt Man ; by Mk, ro be me who waited for the Kingd'91m of God : A nh one who bclicving what Chriſt had 11d , both concerning _ Kingdom of Grace and Glory, lived in the Exped.ttion of ark tis. Man begzgzerh of the Governcr che Body of Chriſt. Pi We wondred that he ſhould be ſo foon dead, bur enquiring of the Centurion, and hearing that he was dead, he commands that ts Body ſhould be delivered unt9 7oph, The manner of che Jews was neither to have Gardens nor Burying-places within the City, but wichout the Wall: It ſhould appear, char rhis Foſeph had a Garden-place wirhour the Ciry, and near to the place where Chriſt was crucified, and in thar Garden he had cur out of tome great Sane a Sepulchre for himfelt, (3ztthew calls it his own New Ti omb, which he had hewed out of the Rock) the other Evangelists do not call it his own New Tomb, only Luke and ohn obſerve, it was 4 Sepulchre in which none ever before was laid, SO as when they found him riſen from the Dead, they could not ſay it was ſome 0- ther Body ; for there was no other Body 1n the Tomb. Bur be- {cre ther laid in the Body, both Matthew and Mark obſerve, that Foſeph wrapped it 1n fire Linnen : And Fohn furrher adderh, ha: they Embed the Body ; to which purpoſe it was that Ni- -+2-*:45 (rhar Ruler who came to Jeſus by Nighr, of which we zve the Story, 7ehb. 3. with whom our Saviour had a Diſcourſe abour Reccner.ction) brought che mixture of Myrrh and Aloes, of a- tut an hundred ppund weight. Fohn adds, As it was the manner of the Jes to bury; not ordinarily, but Perſons of greater Note, whole Eſtates were ſuch, as they could bear fuch an Expence. Tis was the beginning of Honour done unto Chriſt, afcer that he had paſled through his loweſt degree of Humiliation. Maiy AMuigdalene, and the other Mary, that is, the Wife of Cleopas, of whom. we heard before, ſtayed ro fee where he was laid, and took their Sears over-againſt rhe Sepulchre, Luke faith, Ch. 23. &5, The Women alſ? which came with him from Galilee followed af- ter, and beheld the Sepulchre, and how his Boay was laid. And they returned, and prepared the Spices and Ointment, and reſted the Sab- þ ;th-Day, according to the Commandment. It ſeems they fare bur a lictle while (as Afatthew ſaich) right over-againſt the Sepulchre, bur went Home, and prepared Spices and Ointment to Embalm him; but would nor do it on the Sabbath, which was now beginning, thinking thar it would be time enough upon the Fir Day of the Weels Matthew faith, that foe rolled a great Stone to the Door of the Sepulchre, and departed
62 Now the next day that followed the day of the Preparation, the Chief Prieſtsand Phariſees came together unto Pilate,
63 Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver
*Ch.15,21, faid, while he was yet alive, * After three days I & 17. 23; Will rife again.
& 20. 19, 64. Command therefore that the ſepulchre be Mar. 9 31. made ſure until the third day, left his diſciples come & 19: 34: by night. and ſteal him away. and ſay unto the peo- Luk. Ge 22, p B 2 a ? \ y P
& 18: 23. ple, Heis riſen from the dead: 1o the laſt error ſhall & 24. 0. he worls than the firſt.
65 Pilate ſaid unto them, Ye have a watch, go your way, make 7t as ſure as you can.
66 So they went and made the ſepulchre ſure, ſealing the ſtone, and ſetting a watch.
This part of the Hiſtory is recorded by no other Evangeliſt ; the recording it by Matthew, contributeth yer further to evidence che Truth of Chriſt's ReſurreFion : For here was all imaginable Care taken to prevent a Che.zt in the Cafe, The next Day that followed the Day of the Preparation muſt be the Sabbath Day, AMuk 15. 42. Theſe Superſtitious Hypocrites, that quarrelled wich our Saviour , for his Diſciples (being hungry) plucking Ears of Corn on the Sabvath-diy, and tor his healing him that had a wi- thered Tand, chap. 15. 13. can now themlſclves go to Pilate, to fer kim on work, to command that the Sepulchre ſhould be m2de Flt til the Third Day : They alledge, that Chriſt, whom they im- piouſly call that Deceiver, aid, while he was alive, that he would rije again the Tir d Day, toantwer the Type of the Prophet Jonas. c24P. 12.33, 45. They were doubtleſs jealous that there was more Truth in thule Words, than they were willing to believe. They pretend alfo a ivar, left his Diſciples ſhould come privately by Night, and ſteel his Body away, and then fay he was riſen. Bur was thts a probable thing, that a Government ſhould be a- fraid of a few p2or unarmed Men? They were doubtleſs convi- ted in their own Conſciences, thar he would riſe again from the Dead ; and to prevent tis coming out of the Sepulchre, they would have Pil:irocommand, that the Sepulchre ſhould he made Jurc. Pilate telis chem, thar they had a Watch, a Band of S91di- ets, Which he had commanded at this time to attend chem, ei- ri;er for cie Guard of the Temple, or ocher things about which rev would employ them, they might make the Sepulchre as ſure as they couid, {5 they went and made the Sepulchre ſure, ſealing rhe Strong, and ſetting a Woich, } Vain Men! asif the fame Power that was neceilary t raiſe and quicken the Dead, could nor alfo remove th 572ncy and break through the Watch, which chey had
H MATTHEVW.
ſet ! But by this ther Exceſſive Care, and Diligence, inſteaq of preventing Chriſt's Ref urreion, as they intended, they have con. firmed the Truth, and Belief of it to all the World; $9 dot!
God take the wiſe in their own Crafrineſs, and turn their w; _ into Fooliſhneſs , that he may ſet his King upon his Holy #11 |
Zion. CHAT AXYHL