And they said amongst themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the sepulchre? for it was very great. And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away.

For behold there had been a great earthquake; for: an angel of the LORD descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the sepulchre, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning and his raiment white as snow.

And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.

When Mary Magdalene saw that the stone was taken away, she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to that other disciple whom JESUS loved, and saith, They have taken away the LORD, and we know not where they have laid him.

And some of the women entering into the sepulchre, found not the body of the LORD JESUS.

And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments.

And as they were afraid, and bowed their faces to the earth, one of the angels said unto the women, Fear not ye, for I know that ye seek JESUS who was crucified. Why seek ye the living among the dead?"

He is not here, for he is risen, as he said, Come, see the place where the LORD lay.

Remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, saying, The Son of man must be delivered, into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.

Go quickly and tell his disciples, and Peter, that he is risen from the dead; and behold, he goeth before you into Galilee.

And

And the women remembered his words, and they de. parted quickly from the sepulchre, with fear and great joy; and did run, to bring his disciples word. Neither said they any thing to any man, for they were afraid.

When Mary Magdalene had told Peter, and the disciple whom JESUS loved, that they had taken away the LORD: Peter went forth and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre,

So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre..

And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in.:

Then cometh Simon, Peter following him,, and stoop-. ing down, he beheld the linen clothes lying; and he went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie; and the napkin that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself, and he wondered at that which was come to pass.

T

Then went in also that other disciple, who came first to the sepulchre, and he saw and believed.

For as yet they knew not the Scriptures, that he must rise again from the dead.

Then the disciples went away again unto their own home. But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping, and as she wept, she stooped down and looked into the sepulchre,

And seeth two angels in white, sitting the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.

And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Eecause they have taken away my LORD, and I know not where they have laid him. And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and JESUS standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.

saw

JESUS

JESUS said unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou? She supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou hast borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take

him away.

JESUS saith unto her, MARY. and said, Rabboni; which is to say,

She turned herself

Máster.

JESUS saith unto her, Touch me not: for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father and your Father, and to my God and your God.

Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples she had seen the LORD, and that he had spoken these things anto her.

And as the other women went to tell his disciples, behold JESUS met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him.

Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid; go tell my brethren, that they shall go into Galilee, and there shall they see me.

And they returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest.

It was Mary Magdalene, out of whom the LORD cast seven devils, that went and told them that had been with him, as they wept.

And they, when they had heard he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not.

And Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, told these things unto the apostles.

And their words seemed to them like idle tales, and they believed them not.

Now when the women were going to tell the apostles,

behold

behold some of the watch came into the city, and shewed unto the chief priests all the things that were done.

And when they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto the soldiers, Saying, Say ye, his disciples came by night and stole him away while we slept,

And if this come to the governor's ears, we will per. suade him, and secure you.

So they took the money, and did as they were taught; and this saying is commonly reported amongst the Jews until this day.

ANNOTATIONS AND REFLECTIONS.

The pious women who had formed the design of embalming our LORD's body were very solicitous to execute it; therefore, as soon as the sabbath was over, they made farther preparations, and set out to go to the sepulchre early in the morning, even while it was yet dark, so that they arrived there by the time of sun. rising. Though the tomb had been sealed the evening before and a guard; set, it does not appear that the women had heard of this circumstance; which would, in all probability, have in timidated them from pursuing their intention of entering into it. Knowing that the stone was large, they were apprehensive their united efforts would not be sufficient, to remove it; and consulted among themselves who they should apply to for this purpose. While they were on the way, between the dawning of the day and the rising of the sun, a great earthquake happened on the spot where the sepulchre stood; and an ANGEL descended from heaven, who rolled away the stone, on which he seated himself, to the great amazement and terror of the guards. During the time of their conster

nation,

nation, our LORD (we may conclude) rose from the dead, but did not appear to the guards, as they were not proper witnesses of his resurrection. It is likely, that as soon as the spirits of the soldiers revived, they fled from the spot where they had heard and seen such wonderful things, and the angel disappeared. Immediately after their departure the women arrived, who found to their astonishment the stone rolled away. Not recollecting our LORD's repeated assurances that he should rise again, they apprehended the body to have been taken away by his enemies and Mary Magdalene, who enter. tained the most grateful remembrance of the benefits formerly conferred on her by our SAVIOUR, in great agitation of mind at this disappointment, ran to acquaint two of the Apostles, and consult with them what was to be done: but some of the women who remained behind resolved to enter into the sepulchre, where the matter was explained to them by two angels, who shewed them the very place where the body had been laid, and recalled to their minds what our LORD himself had so frequently predicted; and then commanded them to go and carry this joyful news to his disciples. The women imme. diately departed, but their agitation was at first so great, that they did not relate what they had seen and heard to any whom they met by the way. Shortly after they were gone, Mary Magdalene arrived at the sepulchre, bringing with her Peter and John, who, as soon as they heard the body was missing, ran with all possible dispatch to the place, in order to examine into the circumstances of this alarming affair; which indicated, that the malice of our LORD's persecutors still remained in full force.

Peter soon convinced himself that the body was actu ally gone, but knew not how to account for the order