Joseph probably was put in mind of death by this tomb, and meditated on his latter end in this garden. Let us also learn from Joseph, to meditate on our death and resurrection in our walks and gardens. They continually afford us ample subject for such meditations: for every fading flower reminds us of our mortality; and, on the other hand, every blade of grass that dies in winter, and shoots forth again in spring, is, as it were, a preacher of the resurrection.

Thirdly, The following particulars are mentioned concerning our blessed Saviour's sepulchre :

1. It belonged to another person. As our blessed Lord in his life time, had not a place where he might lay his head; so likewise, in death, he was not possessed of a grave.

2. It was a new sepulchre, in which never any man had been laid. This was a necessary precaution, lest the resurrection of Christ should be ascribed to a wrong, cause. If it had been otherwise, his enemies might have ridiculed and depreciated this miracle, by saying, "Possibly some holy prophet had been buried in that sepulchre many centuries ago, and when this Jesus of Nazareth was laid on his bones, he was restored to life, as we have a similar instance in scripture," (2 Kings xiii. 21.) God intended to obviate, by this circumstance, such a subterfuge of unbelief.

3. We are further informed, that this sepulchre was hewn in a rock. This circumstance was likewise directed by the hand of Providence. For had it been in a loose soil, unbelievers, with their usual cavils, might have pretended, that the disciples of Jesus had made a subterraneous passage, and carried off the body, without breaking the seal, &c. by which the outside of it was secured. But the wise providence of God, in this circumstance obviated all such cavils against the certainty of our Saviour's resurrection.

Fourthly and lastly, "The reason is mentioned why this sepulchre was chosen in preference to any other, in these words: Here laid they Jesus, therefore, be

cause it was the Jews preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand.' Indeed, these pious persons, who thus took care of our Saviour's burial, had but little time left. It was within an hour or two of sunset, when the Jewish Sabbath began, for which some previous preparation was also required. Now as time did not permit them to carry the body of Jesus to any place at a greater distance from Golgotha, there was a necessity of making choice of the nearest sepulchre at hand. But God had before taken care to provide a tomb for his Son in Joseph's garden, which was contiguous to Mount Golgotha. This circumstance likewise signified, that the place where Jesus Christ suffered the greatest ignominy was contiguous to that, which was to be the first theatre of his glory.

II. The interment of our blessed Lord is briefly related by the Evangelist, in these words: There laid they Jesus.' The wealthy Jews were not buried in the manner usual among us, by putting the corpse into a coffin, letting it down into the ground, and covering it with earth; but every family of distinction had a kind of vault, consisting of long, narrow cavities cut in a rock. In one of these cavities or niches, which served for a sarcophagus or tomb, the corpse, which was wrapped or wound in linen grave-clothes, was put. In this manner the body of the Lord Jesus was laid in one of the cavities of Joseph's new sepulchre. The hatred of his enemies intended him another kind of burial. According to the custom of the Jews, he would, as a crucified person, have been thrown into a pit on Mount Golgotha, among the bodies of the most infamous malefactors, and a little earth sprinkled over him. But his state of abasement being now finished, every thing was to tend to his glorification. For the honourable burial of Christ was a kind of intermediate space between his state of abasement, and his exaltation; and therefore it was accompanied, as it were, with the dawn of his approaching glory.

III. Let us, in the last place, take a view of the different behaviour of the friends and enemies of our blessed Lord on this occasion.

First, Let us consider the behaviour of his friends. These were,

1. Joseph and Nicodemus; of whom it is said, That, after anointing Jesus, wrapping up his body in fine linen, and laying it in the cavity of a rock, they rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed. Their view in this was to prevent the enemies of our Lord from going into the tomb, lest in their rancour they should abuse even his dead body. Therefore they rolled a great stone before the door of the sepulchre. In the same manner St. John says of Lazarus's sepulchre, (chap. xi. 38.) That it was a cave, and a stone lay upon it.' Thus they securely shut up the Lord Jesus in the sepulchre, without entertaining any hopes that he would ever rise again, or come out of it alive.

2. Among our Saviour's friends were several devout women, some of whom had followed him from Galilee. For, as they had been witnesses of the death of our blessed Lord, and stood over against his cross when he gave up the ghost; so they are here witnesses of his burial. These women sat over against the sepulchre, and beheld where, and how, his body was laid.' They were the more careful in observing the place, that they might find it again; for they were in some measure strangers at Jerusalem. Now it affords us a further testimony of the reality of our Saviour's death, that these his zealous friends were so near at the time of his burial. For they never would have permitted him to be interred in the sepulchre, had they seen the least signs of life in him. But St. Luke further observes, That they returned, and prepared spices and ointment,' i. e. they went into the city; and bought some precious ointment and spices, before it was night, and consequently before the Sabbath began, in order to anoint the Ddd

VOL. II.

body of Jesus the next day, perhaps more carefully than Joseph and Nicodemus had done, since they were straitened for time. These devout women were far from entertaining any thoughts of our Lord's resurrection; their design was only to pay these honours to the body of a person they had so highly valued, and to preserve it as long as possible from corruption. Lastly, the Evangelist says, that they rested on the Sabbath day, according to the commandment,' This shews their innocence and piety; since they punctually observed the law of God, and would not by any means violate it; so that their love for the Lord Jesus, which here as it were, strove for preference with their fear of transgressing the law, must have powerfully urged them, and, like a magnet, have drawn their thoughts to the sepulchre. Such was the behaviour of our Saviour's friends at his burial. We come to consider,

Secondly, The behaviour of his enemies on this occasion. These were,

1. The chief priests and pharisees; who did not let their hatred against the Lord Jesus rest even on the Sabbath day, though the devout women mentioned above, shewed their respect to the commandment, by resting on the Sabbath. His enemies went early in the morning of the Sabbath to Pilate, and, instead of attending to the duties of the day, proposed to him this advice: Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again. Command therefore that the sepulchre may be made sure, until the third day; lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: So the last error shall be worse than the first.'

The design of this application to Pilate was, that a seal might be put on the tomb of Jesus, and a party of soldiers appointed to watch it. In order to induce Pilate to comply with their request, they alleged the following reasons:

The first was, the prophecy of Jesus, that he would rise again the third day after his death; which they had observed and retained better than his own disciples. They could not repeat this prophecy without an invective against Jesus, though he was dead, for they call him a deceiver. But this circumstance of their extreme caution, even after his death, concerning him, whom they exclaim against as a deceiver and false prophet, shews that they had in reality quite another opinion of Jesus, though this testimony of their conscience was at present suppressed.

The second reason that they alleged was, their apprehension that our Saviour's disciples would com-: mit some fraud, would come clandestinely and roll away the stone, carry the body away, and lay it in some other unknown sepulchre; and then spread about a report that he was risen from the dead. Thus the innocent disciples were, like their Lord and master, looked upon as evil-doers and impostors. They had been hitherto accounted a simple, and timorous set of men; but now, such stratagems are approhended from them, as required great address, courage, and resolution. These false ideas concerning our blessed Lord's disciples proceeded from an ill-grounded fear. This fear had conjured up phantoms and chimeras before their eyes; though they accused the Christians of being the most visionary set of people in the world.

The third reason they alleged to induce l'ilate to secure the sepulchre, was the danger, that the last error would be worse than the first." That is, the report of Jesus being risen again on the third day would, probably, have a worse effect on the people, than his preaching while alive. Thus, these hypocrites intended to oppose the decree of God concerning the resurrection of our blessed Saviour, in order to justify their wicked proceedings in the eyes of the world. But we may reckon among the enemies of the blessed Jesus,

2. Pilate, the Roman governor, with whom the rulers of the Jews in this transanction 'take counsel