The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-06-02

| the steward of Herod Antipas, the tetrarch
| of Galilee, whom JESUS had healed of some
| infirmity Ouke viii. 81. The women who
went to the tomb with spices and sweet
perfume" and found that "the Lord they
loved had gone," would thus appear to be his
| near relatives and others whom he had great
ly befriended. Mary Magdalene had previ-
ously been healed by JESUS of some Distress
ing malady thought to have been caused by
demons or evil spirits duke viii. p. She
was from the Galilean village of Magdala
(see map), and therefore called the Magda-
lene. The use of the word Magdalene" in
modern language is wholly unwarranted by
the Scriptures, and continuous libel upon
the woman who was " first at the sepulchre."
There is no warrant whatever for identifying
Mary Magdalene with the woman who was
a sinner (Luke vii. 81, or that the malady
of which she was cured by JESUS was the re-
suit of her sin, or, indeed, that she ever was
a great sinner. Her asso ciations in the Cos
pei records are against such theory of her
| character.
Never, perhaps, has a Pigment so utterly
| baseless obtained so wide an acceptance as
| the penitent Observation-Disclosures and
Strong, Cyclopedia.
The celebrated paintings of the Magdalene
are historically an abomination, and relig-
| iously quite hurtful. CHRIST did save per-
sons of the class to which she is usually re-
| ferred xxi. 32), and will save such persons
still if they repent and believe on him; but
that is no reason for involving this special
friend of his in undeserved dishonor. The
oh wholly
rected, but it may be personally avoided. =
John A. Broadus,. DID,, LID, "Commen-
tary on Matthew"
THE ANGELS.-Matthew alone tells US of
the earthquake and the angel from heaven
who rolled away the stone from the door OF
the sepulchre. The declaration is founded
upon the report of the frightened guards to
the chief priests, who report supernatural
occurrence and appearance. An earthquake
is reported to have occurred in connection
with the crucifxion two days before xvii.
5l-54). One well known scholar whose dis
cussion of the subject we have consulted Is
evidently of the opinion that the earthquake
was the "angel" who rolled the stone from
the door of the tomb and permitted the re-
vived Lord to come forth, the whole event
of which occurrences terrified the supersti-
tious guards. On hearing the report of the
soldiers who guarded the tomb, the Sanhe
drim bribed them with large sum of money
to declare that while they slept the disciples
came and stole the body of JESUS from the
tomb, promising that they would protect
them from the condemnation of PLATE should
they be brought before him on a charge of
unfaithful watching. Matthew declares that
this was the current story believed among
the Jews when he wrote his gospel, and to
refute which he appears to have given his
account of the resurrection of JESUS.
The accounts that the Evangelists give of
the angels which the women are reported to
have seen are different. From Matthew it
appears that the angel who rolled away the
stone and sat upon it, addressed the woman
who approached. Matthew and John speak
of angels, and Mark and Luke of men. Mark
declares that on entering the tomb they saw
a young man clothed in white sitting at the
right hand, who addressed them substan-
TALLY as reported by Matthew. Luke records
that two men in white raiment stood near
them. John tells Us that Mary Magdalene
weeping outside the tomb, STOPPING, looked
| through her tears into the tomb and saw two
angels in white, one at the head and one at
| the feet, where the body of JESUS had lain.
| In the "Story of the Resurrection" by W.
| II. Furness, DID,, the theory is ingeniously
| elaborated that the angels which the soldiers
and the women supposed they saw were
| JESUS himself and his white linen grave
| clothes, as they appeared to their excited i'm
| aginations. At the time when Mary Magda-
| lene supposed she saw the angels in the dark
ness of the tomb she appears to have been
mistaken about the voice which addressed
her as she thought from within; and she GER
tainly mistook JESUS, who addressed her
| from without, for the gardener John XIV.
IL fly. May she not have mistaken the white
linen grave clothes which JESUS had left in
the tomb, for the appearance of two angelsF
DIR. Furness suggests that the commotion
| (earthquake) and white apparition which so
terrified the soldiers on guard, was JESUS in
his long white shroud, after the door of the
tomb had been thrown down upon the
ground; and that the angel of Matthew and
| a young man in a long white garment, were
the same, JESUS having returned to the tomb
on the approach of the woman, not yet be-
| ing prepared to make himself known. The
two appearances reported by Luke, he thinks
may have been JESUS and the white linen
which had been wrapped around his head,
and which he had removed, and some of the
women had seen and mistaken for another
angelic appearance. After the women had
| departed, he thinks that JESUS may have re-
moved his shroud and left the tomb, leaving
the linen bandages as John and Peter and
Mary MagdaleDe had afterwards seen them.
Having secured an ordinary garment he ap-
peared and revealed himself to Mary. The
so. called angels, or young men in white an
nounced that the dead body of JESUS which
the woman sought was not there, but that he
had risen from the dead, as he said, and told
them to go quickly and tell the disciples that
he was risen and would meet them in Cali
lee. This the women are reported to have
done, but the disciples received their story
as idle talk luke xiv. Sid.
JESUS RE-APPEARS.
TO THE Notwithstanding to Matthew
/ Al rad IN