ed of, which happened on the day that followed the day of the preparation, which was the sabbath-day, was a meeting of the chief priests and Pharisees; whose malice, one would think, might have subsided, after they had carried it so far, as to bring an innocent victim to the cross, there to see him expire in bitter agony, and, after that, to know that his dead body had been carefully deposited in Joseph's new tomb. The scruples which they had before entertained about the violation of the sabbath, had they suffered the dead body to remain on the cross on that day, did not so operate upon them now, as to prevent an act, which, according to their. notions of the sabbath, ought to have appeared to them equally inconsistent with the observance of it, as they had before hypocritically declared the healing of the sick on that day to be*. But alas! they who had so often censured and reprimanded CHRIST for performing works of the greatest mercy on that day, now busied themselves in a work of the greatest malice, and endeavoured to blast his memory by fixing upon it the character of an impostor; little thinking, that the * Matt. xii. 10. very method they used, to frustrate the designs of Providence, would become a stronger proof of their own envy and malice, and a most convincing evidence, to all future generations, of that important event, which, they were afraid, should come to pass; and that the words of him they had crucified, should thereby be accomplished*. Instead, therefore, of resting themselves, and of suffering their turbulent passions to rest, on the sabbath-day; the chief priests and Pharisees waited on Pilate with a petition, which, they flattered themselves, would, if he granted it, effectually defeat any other purpose that the friends of JESUS might have formed. Pilate had already been made their instrument in accomplishing the death of CHRIST; and now they address him in the most conciliating language, to induce him to join his endeavours with theirs, to prevent, as they termed it, an imposition and a fraud: Sir, said they, we remember, that that deceiver who was crucified yesterday, said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again. We are fearful that his disciples may come by night, and steal him away, and then de See Henry and Doddridge. lude the people, as their Master has already done, by saying, that he is risen from the dead. Now this it is our earnest desire to prevent, and therefore we have met together, and unite in the request, that you would order the sepulchre, in which he has been deposited by his friends, and to which they have free access, to be made sure until the third day, and thus prevent what we suspect may happen for if the disciples should have an opportunity of conveying him away secretly, and then of making the people. believe that he is risen from the dead; if that should happen, the last error will be worse than the first; the people's belief that he is risen from the dead, would prove a more dangerous seduction than, any into which they have yet fallen*. Pilate was as willing to gratify these petitioners in their request to secure the dead body in the sepulchre; as to oblige the friends of JESUS before, in giving them permission to take it down from the cross. He therefore said unto them, Ye have a watch, go your way, make it as sure as you can. Having thus obtained Pilate's permission, they went and made the sepulchre sure, having first of * Hammond. all, no doubt, satisfied themselves that the dead body of JESUS was in it. They added also another precaution against the possibility of a fraud, for they sealed the stone which had been rolled against the door of the sepulchre, probably with the great seal of the council of the Sanhedrim; and that the body thus inclosed might not possibly be conveyed away without discovery, they set a watch or guard, which Pilate had permitted them to do, consisting of no less than sixty soldiers*. Such were the transactions of this last day of the week in which our blessed LORD had been brought, by the malice of the chief priests and Pharisees, to suffer an ignominious death on the cross, and thus to be numbered with the vilest transgressors, and to make his grave with the rich, as the prophet† had foretold. But, as I have already observed, the transactions of this day were few. I have also said, that they were full of importance; which will most evidently appear, if we consider, how each particular contributed towards establishing that grand corner-stone on which the whole fabrick of Christianity is founded, I mean * Whitby. + Is. liii. 9. the Resurrection of JESUS CHRIST from the dead. To these particulars we will briefly advert, before we proceed to direct our attention to the circumstances which occurred on this glorious day, which it has ever since been the privilege and duty of our Church, in the most grateful manner to commemorate. Sir, said the chief priests and Pharisees to Pilate, we remember, that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again. They acknowledge by this address to Pilate, that CHRIST, whom they impiously call that deceiver, had declared, before he was put to death, that he would rise again the third day, to answer the type of the prophet Jonas, according to what he had said, on a former occasion, to those who, not satisfied with the miracles which he did on earth, sought after a sign from heaven. As Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly: so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth* ; meaning that he should be so long in the grave, and then should rise again from the dead, which would be a sign to the confusion and condemnation of his enemies. By * Matt. xii. 39, 40. |