In order to give the Reader the Light, which I think will arife from this Method, I will lay before him the Account of the three Evangelifts of what paffed at the Sepuchre; and then confider what the Difference between them is; and lastly compare them with St. John's Account, and confider how the Difference will then ftand, upon the Foot of the Additions or Explications given by him. St. Luke, Chap. xxiv. 1. Now upon the first Day of the Week, very early in the Morning, they came unto the Sepulchre, bringing the Spices, which they had prepared, and certain others with them. 2. And they found the Stone rolled away from the Sepulchre. 3. And they entered in, and found not the Body of the Lord Jesus. 4. And it came to pafs as they were much perplexed thereabout, bebold two Men food by them in fhining Garments. 5. And as they were afraid, and bowed down their Faces to the Earth, they faid unto them, Why feek ye the Living among the Dead? St. Matt. Chap. xxviii. Come fee the Place where the Lord lay. 7. 'And go quick, and tell his Difciples, that he is rifen from the Dead; and behold be goeth before you into Galilee, there fhall ye fee him; lo, I have told you. 8. And they departed quickly from the Sepulchre, with Fear and great Foy, and did run to bring bis Difciples Word. 9. And as they went to tell his Difciples, behold, Jefus met them, faying, All Hail; and they came and held him by the Feet, and worshipped him. 10. Then faid Jefus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my Brethren, that they go into Galilee, and there fhall they fee me. St. Mark, Chap. xvi. 6. And be faith unto them, Be not affrighted: ye feek Jefus of Nazareth, which was crucified; be is not here; behold the Place where they laid him. 7. But go your Way, tell his Difciples and Peter, that be goeth before you into Galilee: There shall ye see him as he said unto you. 8. And they went out quickly, and fled from the Sepulchre : For they trembled and were amazed: Neither faid they any thing to any Man: For they were afraid. 9. Now when Jefus was rifen early the first Day of the Week, he appeared firft to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he bad caft feven Devils. 10. And he went and told them that had been with him, as they mourn ́ed and wept. 11. And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been feen of her, believed not. St. St. Luke, Chap. xxiv. 6. He is not here, but is rifen: Remember how he spake unto you, when he was yet in Galilee, 7. Saying, The Son of Man must be delivered into the Hands of finful Men, and be crucified, and the third Day rife again. 8. And they remembered his Words, 9. And returned from the Sepulchre, and told all thefe things to the Eleven, and all the rest. 10. It was Mary Magdalene and Joanna, and Mary the Mother of James, and other Women that were with them, which told these things unto the Apostles. 11. And their Words feemed to them as idle Tales, and they believed them not. 12. Then arofe Peter, and ran unto the Sepulchre, and ftooping down, be bebeld the Linen Cloths laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass. You fee St. Matthew is the only one, who mentions the Earthquake, and the Angels descending to roll away the Stone. As the reft fay nothing of it, it is very abfurd to fay, as the Confiderer does, that they contradict it. I fhall only therefore observe upon this Part, that our English Tranflation is not exact; for after relating the coming of the Women to the Sepulchre, it follows, and behold there was a great Earthquake, &c. which may lead the Reader to imagine, that the Earthquake happened, whilft the Women were at the Sepulchre; which it did not. St. Matthew was to account for the Womens finding the Stone rolled, and therefore inserts what happened juft before their coming; and his Words fhould be render'd, and behold there had been an Earthquake, &c. If you compare these three Evangelifts together in other Respects, the Difference between them will lye in thefe Particulars. 1. St. Mark and St. Luke fay, the Women came early to the Sepulchre, bringing Spices to anoint the Body; St. Matthew fays they came early to the Sepulchre, but fays nothing of their bringing Spices. 2. St. Matthew fays, the two Marys came to the Sepulchre; St. Mark, the two Marys and Salome; St. Luke fays, the Women who came from Galilee with him, and he tells us, ✰ 11. that they were the two Marys, Joanna, and other Women with them. 3. The 3. The three Evangelifts agree that the Women faw a Vision; St. Matthew fays, an Angel; St. Mark, a young Man; St. Luke, two Men, whom 23. he calls two Angels. 4. St. Matthew and St. Mark agree in the Meffage fent by the Angels to the Disciples, that he would go before them into Galilee. St. Luke does not mention this Meffage expressly, but that the Angels remind the Women of what Jefus had said, being with them in Galilee, of his Death and Refurrection. Thefe Differences cannot be accounted for by any Thing added in the Gospel of St. John; and therefore I fhall poftpone the Confideration of them, for the Sake of purfuing the View before me. The next and most material Difference occurs in the Account given of our Lord's appearing to Mary Magdalene. St. Matthew fays, that as the Women went from the Sepulchre to carry the Meffage to the Difciples, Jefus met them, and gave them another Meffage to the Difciples. St. Mark, after concluding the Account of what paffed at the Sepulchre fays, Now when Jefus was rifen early the firft Day of the Week, he ap-: peared firft to Mary Magdalene. He does not mention this as Part of what happened at the Sepulchre, but as a new and diftinct Account of itfelf. St. Luke gives no Account of our Lord's appearing to Mary. Thefe Accounts confidered together, the Cafe will ftand thus. Stop at St. Matthew's Account O 2 of |