3. By long conferring with flesh and blood, we neglect many happy opportunities of doing good to the members of Christ.

The devout women, who had followed the Lord Jesus from Galilee, also brought spices and ointments, (Luke xxiii. 56.) and came to anoint him on that morning when he rose from the dead. But they came too late: for our blessed Lord had already left his grave, and was risen. He who has a mind to do good, let him do it without delay. Good opportunities, like riches, have wings, and fly away before we are

aware.

4. Lastly, The imperfections that usually attend our good works are covered by our love to the Lord Jesus, which flows from our faith in him.

It must be allowed, that there was a weakness attending the good offices of these worthy personages. This appears in their anointing the sacred body of the blessed Jesus, in order to preserve it from putrefaction; whereas it was written in the Psalms concerning the Messiah, 'Thou wilt not suffer thy HOLY ONE to see corruption,' (Psalm xvi. 10.) But this weakness is entirely overlooked on account of that cordial love to the Lord Jesus, from which it proceeded. The Spirit of God, instead of representing this foible of entertaining such an erroneous idea of Christ, as a crime, mentions it as the effect of their love and esteem for the deceased, and passes over their weakness.--Let us therefore pray to our faithful Saviour, that he will shed abroad his love in our hearts, and inflame us with a laudable emulation by the two noble examples, of which we have now been treating.

ur crucified Saviour, and to rejoice ty of shewing our love to thee by members. Grant this for the sake

n.

IDERATION XV.

AL OF THE LORD JESUS.

lace where he was crucified, there d in the garden a new supulchre, caused to be hewn out of a rock, ■ before was laid. Here laid they cause of the Jews preparation day; as nigh at hand. And they rolled a loor of the sepulchre, and departed. -0, who came with him from Galilee, mong these were Mary Magdalene, her of Joses, who sat over against beheld how and where his body ey returned and prepared spices and sted the Sabbath day, according to . Now the next day that followed aration, the chief priests and pharier unto Pilate, saying, Sir, we re

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CHRIST'S SUFFERINGS

where it is said that king Manasseh was buried in the garden of his own house. But here, the wisdom of God had very particular reasons for appointing the sepulchre of the Redeemer of mankind to be in a garden; by which we were to be put in mind of the garden of Eden. In the latter our first parents, by their disobedience, caused great trouble to our Redeemer; in the former, he was to rest after the conclusion of his sufferings. In the garden of Eden, death acquired a despotic power over the whole human race; in this garden he was divested of his power over us, so that the church may triumphantly cry out, O death! where is thy sting?" In the former, the first Adam fell into a deep sleep, during which a wife was formed for him out of his side; in the latter, the second Adam was to repose, that the church, his spotless bride, might likewise derive its origin from him. So wisely has the providence of God directed this circumstance concerning our Saviour's burial.

Secondly, The owner of the sepulchre is mentioned by the Evangelists; and this was Joseph of Arimathea, who had requested Pilate that he might be permitted to take down our Saviour's body from the cross, as we have observed in the last Consideration. This person had been moved by the providence of God, to cause a sepulchre to be hewn out of a rock in his garden, which was near Mount Golgotha. Joseph never imagined that Jesus of Nazareth, whose disciple he was in secret, was to be laid in this sepulchre. But God, to whom all his works are known from the beginning, had this in view, when he inclined the heart of Joseph to make a sepulchre in this garden. It may then be said of Joseph, as Jesus said unto Peter on another occasion, "What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hercafter,' (John xxiii. 7.) Joseph's intent was to provide a place of burial for himself and family; but God had a more important design in view, and so directed contingencies, that Joseph here made a sepulchre for the Prince of Life.

ON MOUNT GOLGOTHA

391

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