turally conclude to be of a superior and heavenly order, and according to the manners of the Jews, and of the east, pray with trembling. (See Luke v. 8. Judges vi. 23. xiii. 22. 1 Kings xvii. 18.) Jesus says, therefore, to them, "Be not afraid."

10. "My brethren."] The same as "disciples," only kinder. That they were brethren of Jesus because "God is his Father and their Father" we shall find confirmed by Christ himself. (John xx. 17.)

APPENDIX TO THE HEBREW GOSPEL.

The Hebrew gospel of Matthew, not the genuine, but the interpolated gospel of the Nazarenes, had either here, or after verse 15, an addition, which, in treating of the history of the resurrection, I cannot pass over. Jerome has preserved a part of it in his catalogue of ecclesiastical writers. He says, in speaking of the younger James, "The gospel, according to the Hebrews, which I have lately translated into Greek and Latin, and which is often quoted by Origen, relates, after the resurrection of our Saviour, as follows:

"But the Lord (after he had given his bu

rial clothes to the servant of the high priest) went to James and appeared to him; for James, from the hour that he had drank the cup of the Lord, had sworn not to eat, until he had seen him again risen from amongst those who slept." (B. 4, sec. 103, Benedictine Edition.) The words between the brackets in the above quotation are wanting in some copies. From this it was to be inferred Jesus had met the servant of the high priest, and given him his sepulchral garments, that he might acquaint him with the fact of his resurrection; then follows," and the Lord said, bring a table and bread," and immediately afterwards, "He took the bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave it to James the Just, and said unto him, My brother, eat thy bread, since the Son of man is again risen from amongst those who sleep." James bore the title of Just, and his piety was highly respected by the Jews. He was a near relation, or as the Bible terms it, a brother of Jesus. There is some latent truth in this narration, for Paul (1 Corinthians xv. 7,) speaks of a particular notice or appearance, which James was favoured with, after the resurrection of Jesus;

this appendix is not, however, from the hand of Matthew; it is more probable to have been a subsequent addition of the Nazarenes or Ebionites, who disfigured authenticated facts with frivolous circumstances, wrote them, at first, upon the margin of the Hebrew, and finally, in their deficiency of critical knowledge, introduced them into the recognised text. Without referring to those parts of this narration, which have been already noticed as improbable or incorrect, they do not stand in the right place. It is said, that Jesus showed himself on the first day of the resurrection, earlier to James than to the other apostles; but how does this coincide with Luke xxiv. 34 ? Should not the apostles have said, “ The Lord has appeared to James and to Simon." Paul places this appearance, with the addition of the word "after that," subsequent to the appearance in Galilæa, when Jesus showed himself to more than five hundred brethren; and it seems probable, that James obtained the appellation of "the Just," an epithet, which is never given him in the New Testament, some time after Matthew had written his gospel, and perhaps, not long before his martyrdom, which, according to Josephus, was a subject of such

mortification to the Jews. (Antiq. b. 20, sect. 9, 1.) This appendix seems to throw no light on the history of the resurrection.

MARK XVI. 2-8.

2." And very early in the morning, the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.

3. "And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone at the door of the sepulchre?

4. "And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away; for it was very great.

5. "And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man, sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted.

6. "And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted; ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified; he is risen; he is not here, behold the place, where they laid him.

7. "But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter, that he 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 said they any thing to any man; for they were afraid."

2. " Very early."] I conceive no one, who reads this in the translation, will suppose all this to have taken place between five and six, especially in a warm climate, where it would not be considered early. The Greek λíavæрwi is, however, sufficiently explanatory. It signifies the time of night from the first obscure dawn to the rising of the sun, and even the last night watch from three to six; and as the word "very" is added, it must have been the beginning of dawn. Luke and John express this still stronger, for when the women went out, it was still dark, although, after the equinox in April, the light increases with great rapidity. I should say, therefore, the translation" at the rising of the sun," is saying too much; it should rather be, as the sun was about to rise," or better" as the day began to break."

7. "His Disciples and Peter."] This last word "and Peter," has been generally misunderstood by commentators; they have not felt, although Peter must have felt, what humiliation is conveyed in these words. He had three times denied his master, and had separated himself from the number of his disciples, he may well, therefore, have doubted, whether