CHAPTER XIII. JESUS TREATED WITH INDIGNITY AFTER HIS CRUCIFIXION; WOMEN VISIT T was expressly forbidden by the law of Moses that the bodies of those who were hanged should remain all night upon the tree. In conformity to this law, and because the Sabbath was at hand, the Jews begged the governor that the legs of the three persons crucified might be broken, to hasten their death. To this request Pilate readily consented; and accordingly gave the necessary orders to the soldiers to put it in execution. But on perceiving that Jesus was already dead, the soldiers did not give themselves the trouble of breaking his legs, as they had done those of the two malefactors that were crucified with him. One of them, however, either out of wantonness or cruelty, thrust a spear into his side, and out of the wound flowed blood and water. This wound, therefore, was of the greatest importance to mankind, as it abundantly demonstrated the truth of our Saviour's death, and consequently prevented all objections that the enemies of our holy faith would otherwise have raised against it. The evangelist adds, that the legs of Jesus were not broken, but his side pierced, that two particular prophecies might be fulfilled: "A bone of him shall not be broken," and "They shall look on him whom they have pierced." Among the disciples of our blessed Lord was one called Joseph of Arimathea, a person equally remarkable for his birth, fortune, and office. This man, who was not to be intimidated by the malice of his countrymen, went boldly to Pilate, and begged the body of his great Master. He had, indeed, nothing to fear from the Roman governor who, during the whole course of our Saviour's trial, had shown the greatest inclination to release him; but he had reason to apprehend that this action might draw upon him the malice of the rulers of the Jews, who had taken such great pains to get the Messiah crucified. However, the great regard he had for the remains of his Master made him despise the malice of the Jews, being persuaded that Omnipotence would defend him. Pilate was at first surprised at the request of Joseph, thinking it highly improbable he was dead in so short a time. He therefore called the centurion, to know the truth of what Joseph had told him; and being convinced, from the answer of that officer, that it was even so, he readily gave up the body. The worthy counselor having obtained his request, repaired to Mount Calvary, and, being assisted by Nicodemus, took the body down from the cross. The latter was formerly so cautious in visiting Jesus, that he came to him by night; but in paying the last duties to his Master he used no art to conceal his design. He showed a courage far superior to that of any of the apostles, not only assisting Joseph in taking the body down from the cross, but bringing with him a quantity of spices necessary in the burial of his Saviour. Accordingly, they wrapped the body, with the spices, in fine linen, and laid it in a new sepulchre, which Joseph had hewn out of a rock for himself. This sepulchre was situated in a garden near Mount Calvary, and in which having carefully deposited the body of Jesus, they fastened the door by rolling to it a very large stone. Oh! what a wonderful spectacle was now exhibited in this memorable sepulchre! He who clothes himself with light, as with a garment, and walks upon the wings of the wind, was pleased to wear the habiliments of mortality, and dwell among the prostrate dead! Who can repeat the wondrous truth too often? Who cau dwell upon the enchanting theme too long? He who sits enthroned in glory, and diffuses bliss among all the heavenly host, was once a pale and bloody corpse, and pressed the floor of this little sepulchre. The women of Galilee, who had watched their dear Redeemer in his last moments, and accompanied his body to the sepulchre, observing that the funeral rites were performed in a hurry, agreed among themselves, as soon as the Sabbath was passed, to return to the sepulchre, and embalm the dead body of their Saviour, by anointing and swathing him in the manner then common among the Jews. Accordingly they repaired to the city, and purchased the spices necessary for that purpose,-Nicodemus having furnished only a mixture of myrrh and aloes. During these transactions, the chief priests and Pharisees, remembering that Jesus had more than once predicted his own resurrection, came to the governor, and informed him of it, begging at the same time that a guard might be placed at the sepulchre, lest his disciples should carry away the body. and affirm that he was risen from the dead. This happened a little before it was dark in the evening, called "the next day that followed," by the evangelist, because the Jewish day began at sunset. This request being considered reasonable by Pilate, he gave them leave to take as many soldiers as they pleased out of the cohort, which at the feast came from the castle of Antonia, and kept guard in the porticoes of the temple; for that they were not Jewish, but Roman soldiers, whom the priests employed to watch the sepulchre, is evident from their asking them of the governor. The priests having thus obtained a guard of Roman solmen long accustomed to military duties, and therefore diers, the most proper for watching the body, set out with them to the sepulchre; and to prevent these guards from combining with the disciples in carrying on any fraud, placed them at their post, and sealed the stone which was rolled to the door of the sepulchre. Thus, what was designed to expose the mission and doctrine of Jesus as rank falsehood and vile imposture, proved in fact the strongest confirmation of the truth and divinity of the same, that could possibly be given; and placed what they wanted to refute, which was his resurrection from the dead, even beyond a doubt. Very early in the morning after the Sabbath, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to visit the sepulchre, in order to embalm the Lord's body; but before they reached the place, there was a great earthquake, preceding the most memorable event that ever happened among the children of men, -the resurrection of the Son of God from the dead. "For the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it." Upon this the alarmed soldiers fled into the city, and the Saviour of the world rose from the dead. The angel, who had till then sat upon the stone, quitted his station, and entered into the sepulchre. In the mean time, the women proceeded on their way, consulting among themselves with regard to the method of putting their design of embalming the body of their Master into execution, particularly with respect to the enormous stone which they had seen placed there two days before, with the utmost difficulty. But in the midst of this deliberation about removing this great and sole obstacle to their design, they lifted up their eyes, and perceived that it was already rolled away. Alarmed at so extraordinary and unexpected a circumstance, Mary Magdalene concluded that the stone could not have been rolled away without some design, and that those who rolled. it away could have no other intent than that of removing the Lord's body. Imagining, by appearance, that they had really done so, she ran immediately to acquaint Peter and John with what she had seen, and what she suspected, leaving Mary and Salome there, that if the other women should arrive during her absence, they might acquaint them with their surprise at finding the stone removed, and of Mary Magdalene's running to inform the apostles of it. In the mean time, the soldiers, who were terrified at seeing an awful messenger from on high roll away the stone from the door of the sepulchre, and open it in quality of a servant, fled into the city, and informed the Jewish rulers of these miraculous appearances. This account was highly mortifying to the chief priests, as it was a proof of our Saviour's resurrection that could not be denied; they therefore resolved to stifle it immediately, and accordingly bribed the soldiers to conceal the real fact, and to publish every where that his disciples had stolen the body away by night. While Mary was going to the disciples, those of her companions whom she had left continued advancing toward the sepulchre, and at their arrival, found what they expected— the body of their beloved Master gone; but at the same time beheld, to their great astonishment, a beautiful young man. in shining raiment, very glorious to behold, sitting on the right side of the sepulchre. Notwithstanding his beauty and benign appearance, they were greatly affrighted, and on the point of turning back, when the heavenly messenger, to banish their fears, told them, in a gentle accent, that he knew their errand. "Fear not," said he, "for I know ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here; for he is risen, as he said ;" and then invited them to come down, and view the place where the Son of God had lain. The women, greatly encouraged by the agreeable news, as well as by the peculiar accent with which this blessed mes senger from the heavenly Canaan delivered his speech, went down into the sepulchre, when, behold, another of the angelic choir appeared! who gently reproved them for seeking the living among the dead. When the women had satisfied their minds by looking at the place where the Lord had lain, the angel who first appeared to them resumed the discourse, and bade them go and tell his disciples, particularly Peter, the glad tidings of his Master's resurrection from the dead; that he was going before them to Galilee, and that they should there have the pleasure of seeing him. |