in the second book of Kings, (chap. xiii. ver. 21.) where we are informed That a corpfe being let down into the fepulchre of Elisha, upon touching the bones of the prophet, revived and stood upon his feet. We are told, moreover, That the fepulchre was hewn out of a rock: so that the rock itself must have formed it, and rendered it impregnable to any attempt from any other part than the front, where the watch was fet, and to which a seal was affixed, after they had placed a large ftone there. Nothing was therefore left to the priests and elders, but the invention of a story as abfurd as it was improbable. 66 66 11. But Mary stood without at the fepulchre, weeping: and as fhe wept, "fhe ftooped down, and looked into the fepulchre. 66 66 12. And feeth two angels in white, "fitting, the one at the head, and the "other at the feet, where the body of Je"fus had lain. 66 13. And they fay unto her, Woman, 4R 2 66 why 66 why weepest thou? She faith unto them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, " and I know not where they have laid him. "14. And when she had thus faid, fhe "turned herself back, and faw Jefus ftanding, and knew not that it was Jesus. 66 66 66 15. Jefus faith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekeft thou? "She, fuppofing him to be the gardener, "faith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne "him hence, tell me where thou haft laid 66 him, and I will take him away. "16. Jefus faith unto her, Mary. She "turned herself, and faith unto him, Rab"boni; which is to fay, Master, "17. Jefus faith unto her, Touch me "not: for I am not yet afcended to my "Father: but go to my brethren, and fay "unto them, I afcend unto my Father, "and your Father, and to my God and your God. 66 "18. Mary Magdalene came and told "the difciples that she had seen the Lord, "and that he had spoken these things " unto her." Mary Mary Magdalene, by her prefent conduct, made good the faying of our Lord to Simon, when this very Mary was anointing his feet, refpecting the behaviour of those who having widely ftrayed from the right path were forgiven and restored to favor, (St. Luke, chap. vii. ver. 47.:) "Wherefore I fay unto thee, Her fins "which are many, are forgiven: for she "loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the fame loveth 'little." 66 Her love and affection to our Lord bore fome faint proportion to the favors fhe had received from him: this prevented her from quitting the fepulchre till fhe had heard fome intelligence of her Lord. The dif tress of her mind was so great, that it seems to have got the better of the natural weakness of humanity, and she enters into conversation with the angels, without either terror or affright, in the same manner as she would have done with earthly beings. With what exquifite delight must she have discovered that the perfon whom she had mistaken for the gardener was really really and truly her mafter arisen from the dead. 66 66 66 19. Then the fame day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the I doors were fhut where the disciples "were assembled for fear of the Jews, "came Jefus and ftood in the midst, and "faith unto them, Peace be unto you. 66 20. And when he had fo faid, he "fhewed unto them his hands and his fide. "Then were the difciples glad, when they "faw the Lord. "21. Then faid Jefus to them again, "Peace be unto you. As my Father "hath fent me, even fo fend I you. "22. And when he had faid this, he "breathed on them, and faith unto them, 66 Receive ye the Holy Ghost: 66 23. Whofe foever fins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever fins ye retain, they are retained." The miraculous appearance of our bleffed Lord in the midst of the difciples, whilft they were fhut up in fecret for fear of the Jews, must have greatly augmented their faith; but, to leave them no room for doubt, he fhews them the print of the nails in his hands and feet. Having twice faluted them with the falutation of 'Peace,' he gives them commiffion to preach his gofpel to the world; and to enable them to perform fo great an undertaking, he breathed upon them and infused into them that gift of the Holy Ghoft, which, fome time after, vifibly lighted upon them on the day of Pentecoft. Thus, in the beginning, God infufed into Adam the breath of life; as we may learn from the fecond chapter of Genefis, ver. 7.: “And "the Lord God formed man of the duft "of the ground, and breathed into his noftrils the breath of life, and man be"came a living foul." As Adam, from a ftate of inanimation, was thus exalted to be a living foul, fo the apoftles, by the gift of the Holy Ghost imparted to them by Christ, were filled with fuch knowledge of the human heart as to enable them to distinguish |