The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 594

tho first Chrieti11n honee of prayer that scrupulous rege.rd t.o tho sanctity of lhe England ee.w, whioh we.a afterwe.rde euper- holy day which they woul_d )io,v0 st.ridly eecled by the noble e.bbey whoee remaine enforced upon others. It 1e Just possil,le, we e.dmire to this de.y. There is no certain however, that they poetponecl their appli- foundation on which the story rests ; the ce.tion till the evening, having nothing- to only evidence of visitors from Palestine fear till "the third day." Ca.me together h11ving ever e.rrived at Gle.etonbury is the unto Pile.te ; were gathered together. A huge existence of e.n Ee.stern thorn-tree on Wee.ry- depute.lion of the chief men presented itself e.11 Hill, which possesses the cnrious pro- before the procurator, e.nxioua to obtain hie perty of blossoming at ·Christmas. The e.id to prevent e.11 te.mpering with the buried original tree, which sprang from Joeeph'e body of Jeeae, e.t the same time apprehend- etaff, is reported to he.ve flourished till the ing some event, they knew not what, which reign of Charles I., when it wae destroyed might tend to corroborate hie claims. Neo- by the Puritans; bu_t ecions or cuttings were logians he.ve e.rgned e.ge.inst the credibility taken from it, and many such bushes are still of this section of the gospel history, and to be found in different pa.rte of the country. he.ve been followed by some commentators Ver. 61.-The other Mary. The mother of greater fe.ith. A refatation of the most of Je.mee e.nd Josee (ver. 56). These pious prominent objections will be found in women could not tee.r themselves from the Alford'& notes on ver. 62. 11pot where their Lord was buried. The Ver. 63. -We remember, etc. The le.et to lee.ve him dee.d, they were the first prophecy concerning Christ's resnrrection to see him risen, And now they watch the on the third day might have been made le.et ceremonies e.t e. distance, intending to known to them in various ways. Thus they complete the imperfect embe.lmment with may have hee.rd e.nd pe.rtially understood loving ea.re as soon e.s ever the se.bbe.th we.s our Lord's e.llneion to Jonah (eh. xii. 40), over. "Seest thou women's courage?" ea.ye or the words on which the fe.lse e.ccnsation Chrysostom ·: "seest thou their e.ffection? we.s founded (John ii. 19); or the apostles eeeet thou their noble spirit in expending themselves may he.ve divulged the myste- money [Me.rk xvi. 1; Luke xxiii 56]? rious e.unonncement, and e. general impees- their noble spirit even unto dee.th 7 Let us eion he.d been produced the.t Jesus had men imite.te the women; let us not forsake conete.ntly affirmed that he wonlJ rise on Jesus in tempte.tion11." We me.y note tha.t the third de.y. It is true the.t the apostles the co.re of Joseph in providing e.n inviolable and the good women were fe.r from believing tomb, e.nd the prepe.re.tione of theee good in the ree.lize.tion of this assertion in the women, showed the.t they e.s yet had no me.nner in which it co.me to pa.as. They faith in the incorruptibility of Chriet'e body probably looked for Christ's return in glory or of hie corporee.1 resurreotion from thedee.d. to establish hie kingdom and to reign e.B Ver11. 62-66.-The great sabbath. The Meesie.h. The rulers received the predic- tion in its literal sense, " hatred being more sepulchre sealed and teatched. (Peoulie.r to keen-sighted the.n love;" hence they took Bt. Me.tthew.) pre.ctical prece.utione age.inst its collusive or Ver. 62.-The next de.y, that followed the pretended fulfilment. That deoeiver ( ,Kewor day of the prepe.re.tion; ~T" l11Tl µ,eTi'J. T¾,v 6 ,r/1.avar : litero.lly, that vagabond yonder). ,ra.pa.<1tcevf,v, which is [the de.y] after the pre- That impostor, who he.a become so famous, paration. The languoge of tile origine.l e.nd whom you k:no,v all e.bout. They imply implies the.t the de.y we.a one of a class. the.t without further definition, Pilato undcr- The present do.y we.s the 15th of Niee.n, etonde whom they menn; and their ce.lum- e.nd both e. ee.bbath and the chief de.y of nies e.nd reviling cease not even with their the Passover festive.I. The term "pre- Victim's dee.th. While he we.s yet a.live. pe.re.tion," or "proee.bbe.th"(Judith viii 6), These bitter enemies of Jesus, who ho.cl the we.a npplied by the Jews to tbe de.y pre- beat means of oscertaining the truth, cer- ceding the eabbath or the chief festive.le te.inly regarded him e.s now dead. Yet (Josephus, 'Ant.,' xvi. 6. 2); but by the some modern sceptics resort to the theory time the gospel we.a committed to writing, of e. tre.nce to e.ccount for the Resurrection, Pe.re.ekeue had become e.mong Christians whose bistorice.l occuracy they cannot g[lin- the ueue.l designation of the de.y of Christ's se.y. After three de.ys. A populo.r form of de11th; hence the ee.bbe.th, whioh we.a of expression, whioh would denote e.ny sp[lce lees importe.no..i the.n the orucifixion de.y, is whioh embraceJ portions of three d11y~, in here oe.lled, "the d11y e.fter the Pare.ekeue." the present ea.ea being po.rt of FriJ,iy, all The lo.ngue.ge of tho eyuoptiets lee.de to the Saturd11y, and po.rt of Sunday. I will risa conclueiou the.t the action of the Sunhedriete again (.-y,lpaµ,o.,, I rise). The present tense in e.pplying to Pile.le took ple.oe on the eab- implies greater e.nd more assured certainty be.tb, their unc11ey conscience e.nd fenr of tbe.n the future. 110me aurprieing event overcomiug the.t Ver. 64.-Commud therefore. In con•  600 'l'IIE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. [cm. uvn. 1-68,