The works of the Reverend and learned John Lightfoot D. D., late Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge such as were, and such as never before were printed : in two volumes : with the authors life and large and useful tables to each volume : also three maps : one of the temple drawn by the author himself, the others of Jervsalem and the Holy Land drawn according to the author's chorography, with a description collected out of his writings.

SECTION LXXXVII.

MATTH. Ch. XXVIII. from the beginning to Ver. 16.

MARK. Ch. XVI. from the begin. to Ver. 12.

LUKE Ch. XXIV. from the begin. to Ver. 13.

JOHN. Ch. XX. from the begin. to Ver. 19.

CHRISTS Resurrection, his first appearing, viz. to Mary Magdalen.

AS for the subsequence of this Section to the preceding, there can be no scruple, but it requires some heedfulness, to lay the story in it, in its proper currency, because of some seeming diversities in the four in their relating the story of it.

The Lord of life was under death about 36 hours: and so long was that day wherein the Sun stood still in the time of Joshua: as Kimchi saith, it is the acknowledgment of the Jews: on Josh. 10.

Christ himself calleth this space three daies and three nights, Matth. 12. 40. whereas it was but two nights and one whole day, and two small parts of two more. And yet herein he speaketh warrantably even by the known and allowed Dialect of the Nation. Both the Talmuds in the Treatise Shabba per. 9. do dispute about the three daies that Israel separated from their Wives before the giving of the Law, Exod. 19. 15. and among other things they have these passages: R. Akibah made the day a 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and the night a 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 And so did R. Ismael. But this is a tradition, R. Eliezer ben Azariah saith, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 A day and a night make a 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and a part of a 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is accounted as the whole. Observe these last words to the purpose that we are upon: Three natural daies by this rule were three 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and any part of any of these, was ac∣counted as the whole of it.

The Evangelists seem to differ somewhat in the mention of the time of the Womens coming to the sepulchre. John saith Mary Magdalen came while it was yet dark. Mat∣thew, when it began to dawn: whereas Mark saith, she and the other women came thither at Sunrising: All which together speak the story to the full to this tenour. That at the dawning, and while it was yet dark, the Women as soon as they could see [at the least Mary Magdalen] set out to go to the Sepulchre: and that was at the very instant of Christs rising, when there was a great Earthquake and an Angel came and rolled away the Stone. Mary Magdalen came from Bethany, from her brother Lazarus his house [if she came

from her own home] and the other Women were at their several lodgings, and to get them all together [for they were to go about this work all together] would spend some time: so that though Mary were so early stirring, yet before they were all got together to the Scpulchre it was Sunrising. These Women little knew of the watch that was set over the grave, and the sealing of the stone [which was done on the morning of the Sabbath] for all their care is how to get the stone rolled away. When they come there, they find that done already [and the Watch was fled] and the Angel that had rolled it away sitting on it on the right hand of the entring in, and when they were entred in they saw another Angel, which both told them of his being risen. And thus Matthew and Mark that men∣tion but one Angel, are to be reconciled to Luke who speaketh of two.

The Women return and tell the Disciples what they had seen, but their words seemed to them as idle tales: yea, Mary her self yet believed not that he was risen: It is worth stu∣dying upon the faith of the Disciples: it was a saving faith in Christ, and yet they belie∣ved not that he should die till he was dead, nor believed that he should rise again, no not when he was now risen.

Peter and John run to the Sepulchre, and Mary Magdalen follows them: They see the body gone and the clothes lying there [and John proves the first that believes his re∣surrection] and they return home, but Mary staies there weeping still: And looking in, she sees two Angels, the one at the head and the other at the feet where the body had lain [like the two Cherubins at either end of the Ark:] And looking behind her she seeth Jesus, and thought it had been the Gardiner, but presently knew him, and comes away to bring the Disciples word. Here Matthew speaks short: for he mention∣eth but one journey of the Women to the grave and back, and saith that as they came back Jesus met them. Whereas Mary had two journeys, and it was she alone that met him, and that in her second return. As she returned now the Watchmen are come into the City, and bribed to deny that he was risen, and so the Chief Priests and Elders give money to hire the Nation into unbelief.