"Saying, Be it far from thee, Lord, this shall not be unto thee, Matt. xvi. 22. and at another time just before his paflion, our Saviour had no fooner done fpeaking to them of his crucifixion, and his rifing again the 3d day,but the two Sons ofZebedee petitioned, that one might fit on the right hand, and the other on the left in his Kingdom, and the reft of the Disciples were moved with indig nation against them, for preferring fuch Requests and it appears appears from our Saviour's difcourfe to them upon it, that their minds were all bent upon the thoughts of temporal Glory and Dominion, Matt. xx. 20. And after our Saviour had told them, that he must be put to death and rife a gain the third day, St. Luke adds, that they underfood none of these things, and this fay ing Da was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were fpoken, Luke xviii. 34. and we find the fame expreflion before, Luke ix. 45. Even after our Saviour had eaten the Paffover with them, and inftitu ted the sacrament of his Body, which was juftthen to be given up and to be Crucified; and of his Elood which was to be fhed for them they were ftill intent upon Temporal things and had expectations of being adanced to places of Authority and Preheminence And there was a ftrife amongst them which of them should be account ad the greatest, Luke xxii. 24 At his paffion as as one of them denied him thrice, fo all the reft forfook him and fled.

The

The Apostles and Evangelifts write without any defign, or any end to ferve but that of telling the truth; and therefore they conceal nothing of their own failings and faults, though they might prove nes ver fo difgraceful to them; they acquaint us that they were ambitious, and had a vain profpect of Temporal Grandeur, that they were timorous, and of little. Faith, till the defcent of the Holy Ghoft upon them; which appears in nothing more than in this point of the Refurrecti on. They were men of no great natural Capacity, or quick apprehenfion, and they had fometimes found themselves miftaken in understanding that literally, which was fpoken to them in

is natural for men Parables; and it

*

to tun from one extream to another, and ufual for ignorant and unlearned men to imagine difficulties, where there are none and this meeting with their wishes and longings after temporal Greatnefs, made hem take all that was faid to them concerning the Paffion and Refurrection of Chrift, in fome fuch fenfe as might answer their hopes and defires of temporal Felicity but when his Crucifixion had undeceived them in this conceit, they were in fuch confufion and confternation of mind, as not to be able to recollect themfelves, or to promise them. felves any thing by his Refurrection, which

they

they had no hopes or expectation of. The Spirits of men are commonly as low as their Education, and their condition and station in the world is, and are easily sunk and depreffed much lower by any great and fudden calamity and men, who were born in fo mean a condition, and had entertained a conceit of great and vain hopes, and then as unexpectedly fell from: them, must be so dejected at it, that it is no wonder that they thought of nothing but their forrows, and had little heart to imagine any poffibility of relief from the reviving of him, whom they had seen in that infamous and cruel manner put to death. They were fo poffeft with an opinion of a temporal Kingdom, that when they had been convinced of the truth of his Refurrection, and had afterwards converfed a long time with him, they could not put it out of their minds, act. i. 6. and therefore it is no ftrange thing, that when they faw him dead and in the Grave, they were forfaken of all their for. mer hopes of the Redemption of Ifrael by him, Luke xxiv. 21. which before they had imagined to themfelves, was to be performed by his railing himfelf from that meanness to a Throne, not by his restoring himself to Life again, after he had been buried three days. The notion which the Jews had of a Refurrection, was only that

of

of the last day, John xi. 24. and whatever was faid of any other Resurrection, they looked upon it to be meant only in allufion to that: they questioned one with another what the rifing from the dead bould mean, they underflood not that faving, and were afraid to ask him, Mark ix. 10, 32..

The Apofties therefore and other Difciples were fo far from being credulous, or forward to believe the Refurrection of Chrift from the dead, that they were not only inquifitive and careful not to be impofed upon, but they were exceeding diffident. The women that went to the Sepulchre, were fo far from expecting to find him rifen from the dead, that they carried with them a preparation of Spices to embalm his Corps, Mar. xvii. and not finding the Body of the Lord Jefus, they were much perplext at it, not remembring the words, which Jefus had spoke to them concerning the Refurrection, till the two nien, who ftood by them in fhining Garments, had put them in mind of them, Luke xxiv. 4. 8.But when they returned fom the Sepulchre and told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest their words feemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not, verfe 9, 11. And Mary Magdalen her felf, though he had feen this vifion, yet went to them with this complaint, they have taken away the Lord out of the Sepulchre,

and

and we know not where they have laid him, Jo. xx. 2. Then Peter ran into the Sepulchre,and stooping down beheld the Linen cloths laid by themselves, and departed wondering in himself at that which was come to pass, Luke xxiv. 12. St. John ran to the Sepulchre at the fame time, and going into it faw and believed, but he declares, that as yet they knew not the Scripture, that he must rise again from the dead, Jo. xx. 8. 9. Mary Magdalen stands without ftill weeping, and complains to the two Angels, who asked her the cause, they have taken away Lord, and I know not where they have laid him, v. 13. and again to our Saviour himfelf not knowing him,but fuppofing him to have been the Gardner, Sir, if on have born him hence tell me where thon hajte laid him, and I will take him away, v. 15. And after fhe was her felf convinced of the Refurrection, when she told his Difciples, they believed not, Mark xvi. 11.

1

my

When our Saviour appeared to the two Difciples in the way to Eur, he found them reafoning and talking together of all thofe things which had happened, and they were forrowful at the thoughts of them, and when he enquired the reafon, they give him fuch an account, as fhews the doubtful and defponding apprehenfi ons they had of their prefent condition, infomuch that he answers thein with a fe