virtue of the like promise, should go to its rest, but should only be left in it until the time that it was to be re-united to the body for the performing of the resurrection 5.

The Romish doctrine, concerning a purgatory, is a fond thing, vainly invented, and grounded on no warranty of Scripture. If Holy Scripture had inculcated so solemn a truth any where, it would have been surely in this place in the story, where the Messiah departed this life; whereas, all that the narrative informs us is, that Jesus Christ "gave up the ghost," and that His inanimate body was "buried" in the tomb. His soul obeyed the common law of life, which, when man dieth, dies not, as our Saviour Himself preached: "Fear not them which kill the body, but cannot kill the soul." This, while man lives, gives life to the body, and is the fountain of all vital actions; but, when man dies, it does certainly pass from that place, where it informed the body, and is translated into that society which God hath allotted to it'. This unseen state of existence by the silence of Scripture, in regard to it, does not, it is presumed, at all concern this world to know. The place of departed spirits is beyond our comprehension, and cannot be reached by our wishes, our prayers, or our alms. One particular, concerning the soul, is

3

Bishop Pearce.

6 Article XXII.

7

Bishop Pearson.

alone made known to us, in our blessed Lord's history, that it does not perish; but, as it did return to life, and did re-animate the body, which had been suspended on the cross, so the souls of men will return to their bodies, and be fitted for the eternal state of being in the world to come. Christ's descent into hell is not mentioned in the Gospels, nor in any of the abstracts of the Christian faith handed down to us by the early Fathers; but it seems probable that it was introduced into creeds, for the purpose of declaring the actual separation of Christ's soul and body, in opposition to those who asserted that the crucifixion produced only a trance, and that Jesus did never really suffer death R.

SECT. CLXVI.-Christ's Resurrection.-Matt. xxviii. 1-8; Mark xvi. 1-8; Luke xxiv. 1-11; John xx. 1-10. THE day of our blessed Lord's resurrection had been as correctly foretold as every other incident in this wonderful story. It was provided in the Book of Leviticus, that, "on the morrow after the Sabbath "," the sheaf of the first fruits, by which their harvest was to be consecrated, should be lifted up before God, to signify that Christ, our first fruits, should on that day be raised up by God, and so become a surety to us of our future resurrection'. Accordingly, “very early in the morning," "when the Sabbath was past,' Bishop Patrick. Archbishop Wake.

8

Bishop Tomline.

9

1

when it was yet dark;" but, "as it began to dawn towards the first day of the week," (the day immediately following the Sabbath, and the third from the death of Christ,) "Mary, the sister of Lazarus, called Magdalene," and "the other Mary, the mother of James and Joses," set out together for the sepulchre in pursuance of the design of embalming the Lord's body, which they had concerted with the other women, and for the performance of which they had prepared unguents and spices". "And, behold, there had been a great earthquake;" for the Angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it, and for fear of him, "the keepers," or watchmen, "did shake, and became as dead men." During the amazement and terror which this occasioned, Christ came forth out of the sepulchre, whether or no the soldiers saw any thing, or only felt and heard the earthquake, is not stated; but they became cognizant of the fact, that the body, which they were set to guard, was no longer within the sepulchre; and considering they had now no further duty, they came into the city and showed the Chief Priests all the things that were done. In the meanwhile Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were still on their way thither, and had been joined by Salome, "the

2 West.

mother of Zebedee's children." As they drew near, discoursing about the method of putting into execution their intention of embalming the body of Jesus, "they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre? for it was very great." In the midst of their deliberation on this subject, however, "when they looked,' lifting up their eyes," while they were yet at some distance, "they saw that the stone was rolled away"."

66

Alarmed at a circumstance so extraordinary and unexpected, and impressed with a belief, that as the stone could not be moved without the assistance of many persons, and could not have been rolled away without some design, (which she very naturally concluded must have been to remove the Lord's body,) Mary Magdalene ran back immediately to acquaint Peter and John with what she had seen, and what she suspected, leaving Mary and Salome at the sepulchre, in order that, if Joanna and the other women should come in the mean time, they might impart to them their surprise, and the object of the Magdalene's return to inform the Apostles of it. Whilst she was on this errand, Mary and Salome went in and entered the supulchre; "and entering, they saw a young man," that is, an Angel in the shape of a young

3 West.

man*, "sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment, and they were affrighted. And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: ye seek Jesus of Nazareth which was crucified: He is risen; He is not here; behold the place where they laid Him. But go your way, tell His disciples and Peter that He goeth before you into Galilee, there shall ye see Him, as He said unto you." It has been thought that St. Peter is particularly mentioned by the Angel in order to give him consolation, and to show that he had not forfeited his title to be one of Christ's disciples after his denial of Him. And the women "went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre, for they trembled and were amazed; neither said they any thing to any man, for they were afraid "."

After the departure of Mary and Salome, John and Peter, when they had seen Mary Magdalene, believed what she had said unto them, that "they have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid Him. Peter, therefore, came forth, and the other disciple, and came to the sepulchre. So they ran both together, and John did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre; and he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in. Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went

4 Dr. S. Clarke.

5 Dr. Whitby.

6 West.