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the fepulchre fure, fealing the ftone, and fetting

a watch.

CHA P. XXVIII.

IIN the end of the (a) fabbath, as it began to dawn towards the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, to fee the fepulchre. 2 And behold, there was a great earthquake; for the angel of the Lord defcended from heaven, and came and rolled back the ftone from the door, and fat 3 upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and 4 his raiment white as fnow. And for fear of him

the keepers did fhake, and became as dead men. 5 And the angel anfwered and faid unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye feek Jefus, which 6 was crucified. He is not here: for he is rifen, as he faid: come, fee the place where the Lord lay (b). And go quickly, and tell his difciples that he is rifen from the dead; and behold, he goeth before you into Galilee, there fhall ye fee him; lo, I have told 8 you (c). And they departed quickly from the sepulchre, with fear and great joy, and did run to bring his difciples word.

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And as they went to tell his difciples, behold, Jefus met them, faying, All hail (d). And they came, and held him by the feet, and worshipped 10 him. Then faid Jefus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there fhall they see me.

(a) When the Sabbath was paft, Mark xvi. 1. They fet out at this time, and arrived at the fepulchre at the rifing of the fun. Mark xvi. 2.

(b) Come without fear nearer to the fepulchre, and observe well the place where the Lord's body lay.

(c) Thus I have performed the commiffion I was fent upon; which was, to give you this information.

(d) An accustomed mode of falutation. See Luke i. 28.

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II Now

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Now when they were going, behold, fome of the watch came into the city, and fhewed unto the 12 chief priests all the things that were done. And when they were affembled with the elders, and had taken counfel, they gave large money unto the fol13 diers, Saying, Say ye, His difciples came by night, 14 and ftole him away while we flept (e). And if this

come to the governor's ears, we will perfuade him, 15 and fecure you. So they took the money, and did as they were taught and this faying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.

16 Then the eleven difciples went away into Galilee,

into a mountain where Jefus had appointed them. 17 And when they faw him, they worshipped him : 18 (f) but fome doubted. And Jefus came, and fpake unto them, faying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

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Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, 20 and of the holy Ghost (g): Teaching them to obferve all things whatsoever I have commanded you (b): and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world (). Amen.

(e) For a foldier to be afleep on his poft, was death by the Roman military difcipline; and that all of them fhould fleep at once, is to the laft degree incredible.

(f) St. Thomas having been convinced before, this paffage relates not to him; but fome of them who are faid Luke xiv. 33. to have been with them, may have been fill in doubt until this laft appearance of Jefus.

(g) Oblerve the name is one, and the authority one, in the form of baptifm; which therefore proves the three perfons in the blessed Trinity to be equal. This then ought to be our faith.

(h) But to be a true difciple of Chrift, it is not only neceffary to be found in the faith, but likewife fincerely to obey all the divine commands.

(2) Though not perfonally, yet by the Spirit.

THE

THE

GOS PEL

ACCORDING TO

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M ARK.

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CHA P. I.

HE beginning of the Gospel of Jefus Chrift the Son of God, As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I fend my meffenger before thy face, which 3 fhall prepare thy way before thee. The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of 4 the Lord, make his paths ftraight. John did baptize in the wilderness, and preached the baptifin of 5 repentance, for the remiffion of fins. And there went out unto him all the land of Judea, and they of Jerufalem, and were all baptized of him in the 6 river of Jordan, confeffing their fins. And John was clothed with camel's hair, and with a girdle of a fkin about his loins: and he did eat locuits and 7 wild honey (a): And preached, faying, There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whofe fhoes I am not worthy to ftoop down and unloofe. 8 I indeed have baptized you with water: but he fhall

(a) See Matt. iii. 4. Note.

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9 baptize you with the holy Ghoft (b). And it came to pass in those days, that Jefus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan. 10 And ftraightway coming up out of the water, he faw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove (c) II defcending upon him. And there came a voice

from heaven, faying, Thou art my beloved Son, 12 in whom I am well pleafed. And immediately the 13 Spiric driveth him into the wilderness (d). And he was there in the wilderness forty days tempted of Satan, and was with the wild beafts, and the angels miniftered unto him.

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Now after that John was put in prifon, Jefus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the 15 kingdom of God, And faying, The time is fulfil

led, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent 16 ye, and (e) believe the gofpel. Now as he walked by the fea of Galilee, he faw Simon, and Andrew his brother, cafting a net into the fea: (for they 17 were fishers.) And Jefus faid unto them, Come

ye

after me, and I will make you to become (f) fifhers 18 of men. And ftraightway they forfook their nets, 19 and followed him. And when he had gone a little further thence, he faw James the fon of Zebedee, and John his brother, who alfo were in the ship 20 mending their nets. And straightway he called them and they left their father Zebedee in the fhip with the hired fervants, and went after him.

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And they went into Capernaum, and ftraightway

(b) He will, befides the baptifm of water, cleanse and purify your fouls with the graces of the holy Spirit, and enable you by his wonderful gifts to promote the caufe of truth and righteousness, agaiuft all oppofition.

(c) See Mat. iii. 16.

(d) He went into the wilderness by the divine impulse of the holy Spirit. Mat. iv. 1.

(e) Receive it as the means of falvation.

(f) Mat. iv. 19. Note.

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on the fabbath-day he entered into the fynagogue, 22 and taught. And they were aftonifhed at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had autho23 rity, and not as the (g) fcribes. And there was in their fynagogue a man with an unclean fpirit, and 24 he cried out, Saying, Let us alone, what have we to do with thee, thou Jefus of Nazareth? art thou come to deftroy us? I know thee who thou art, the 25 holy One of God. And Jefus rebuked him, say26 ing, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the unclean fpirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him. And they were all amazed, infomuch that they questioned among themselves, faying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do 28 obey him. And immediately his fame spread abroad, throughout all the region round about Galilee. 29 And forthwith, when they were come out of the fynagogue, they entered into the house of Simon and 30 Andrew, with James and John. But Simon's wife's mother lay fick of a fever, and anon they tell him And he came and took her by the hand, and lift her up; and immediately the fever left her, 32 and the (b) miniftered unto them. And at even, when the fun did fet, they brought unto him all that were diseased, and them that were poffeffed with 33 devils. And all the city was gathered together at 34 the door. And he healed many that were fick of ́

31 of her.

(g) The fcribes refrained the commandments of God to the mere letter of the law, and taught the people a fuperftitious exact nefs in outward ceremonies, according to the cuftoms handed down from their fore-fathers. But our bleffed Saviour, with the authority of a divine inftructor, taught them to difregard thefe things, and to place religion on the folid foundation of purity of heart, and integrity of life. See Mat. vii. 29.

(h) She was fo perfectly recovered that she was able to attend on and entertain them.

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