followed the disciples, happened to meet Peter and John. But they had not gone far from the sepulchre, before Jesus himself met them, and said, "All hail!" On which they approached their great Lord and Master, held him by the feet, and worshipped him. The favor of embracing his knees, Jesus had before refused to Mary Magdalene, because it was not then necessary; but he granted it to the women, because the angels' words having strongly impressed their minds with the notion of his resurrection, they might have taken his appearance for an illusion of their own imagination, had he not permitted them to touch him, and convince themselves, by the united reports of their senses, that he was their great Lord and Master, who was then risen from the dead, after having suffered on the cross for the sins of mankind.

This company of pious women having tarried some time with Jesus on the road, did not arrive with the joyful tidings of their great Master's resurrection, till some time after Peter and John; and perhaps were overtaken by Mary Magdalene on the road, unless we suppose she arrived a few minutes before them. But be that as it may, this is certain, that they arrived either at or near the saine time; so that their accounts of this miraculous event tended to confirm each other.

The disciples were now lost in astonishment at what the women had related; they considered the account they had before given them, of their having seen the angels, as an improbability, and now they seem to have considered this as something worse; for the evangelist tells us, that they "believed not."

Peter, indeed, to whom the angel had sent the message, was disposed, by his sanguine temper, to give a little more credit to their words than the rest; possibly, because the inessengers from the heavenly Canaan had done him the honor of naming him in particular.

Elated with the respect thus paid him, he immediately repaired again to the sepulchre; hoping, in all probability, that his Master would appear to him, or at least the angel who had so particularly distinguished him from the rest of the disciples.

As soon as Peter arrived at the sepulchre, he stooped down, and seeing the linen clothes lying in the same manner as before, he viewed their position, the form in which they were laid, and returned, wondering greatly in himself at what had happened.

CHAPTER XXXV.

Jesus appears on divers occasions, to different Disciples. -Reproves and convinces Thomas of his unbelief. to a great number of his Followers in Galilee.

Shows himself

Soon after the women's first return to the disciples with the news that they had seen the appearance of angels, who told them that Jesus had risen from the dead, two of the disciples departed on their journey to a village called Emmaus, about two miles distant from Jerusalem. The concern they were in, on account of the death of their great and beloved Master, was sufficiently visible in their countenances. And, as they pursued their journey, talking one with another, and debating about the things that had lately happened among them, concerning the life and doctrine, the sufferings and death of the holy Jesus, and of the report that was just spread among his disciples, of his being that very morning risen from the dead, Jesus himself overtook them, and joined company with them.

As he appeared like a stranger, they did not in the least suspect that their fellow-traveller was no other than the great Redeemer of the sons of men. He soon entered into discourse with them, by inquiring what event had so closely engaged them in conversation, and why they appeared so sorrowful and de

jected, as if they had met with some heavy disappointment?

One of them, whose name was Cleophas, being surprised at the question, replied, Is it possible that you can be so great a stranger to the affairs of the world, as to have been at Jerusalem, and not have heard the surprising events that have happened there? Events that have astonished the whole city, and are now the constant topic of conversation among all the inhabitants? Jesus asked, what surprising events he meant. To which Cleophas replied, The transactions which have happened concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who appeared as a great prophet and teacher sent from God; and accordingly, was highly venerated among the people, for the excellency of his doctrine, his humility of life, and the number, benefit, and greatness of his miracles.

Our chief priests and elders, therefore, envying him as one who lessened their authority over the people, apprehended him, and found means to put him to death.

But we firmly believed he would have proved himself the Messiah, or great Deliverer; and this persuasion we a long time supported; nor were we willing to abandon it, even when we saw him put to death. But it is now three days since these things were done; and, therefore, begin to fear we were mistaken.

This very morning, indeed, a thing happened, which extremely surprised us, and we were very solicitous with regard to the event. Some women,

who had entertained the same hopes and expectations as we, going early in the morning to pay the last duties to their Master, by embalming his body, returned with great haste to the city, and informed us that they had been at the sepulchre, but were disappointed in not finding the body; and to increase our surprise, they added, that they had seen the appearance of angels, who had told them that Jesus was risen from the dead.

This relation seemed, at first, to us not probable, nay, altogether incredible; but two of the company going immediately after to the sepulchre, found every thing exactly as the women had reported: they saw the angels, but heard not anything of the body; so that we are still in doubt and perplexity with regard to this wonderful event. In reply, Jesus said, Why are ye so very averse to believe all that the prophets have, with one voice, predicted of the Messiah? Is it not clearly and very prophetically foretold, in all the prophetic writings, that it was appointed by the counsel of Omnipotence for the Messiah to suffer in this manner, and that after sustaining the greatest indignities, reproach, and conteinpt, from the malice and perverseness of mankind, and even undergoing an ignominious and cruel death, he should be exalted to a glorious and eternal kingdom? Having said this, he began at the writings of Moses, and explained to them, in order, all the principal passages, both in the books of that great legislator, and the writings of the other prophets, relating to his own sufferings, death, and glorious resurrection.

And this he did with such surprising plainness,