Matthew Poole and continuators on Matthew 28:8

8 And they departed quickly from the sepulcher, with fear, and great joy, and did run to bring his disciples word.

Mark Ch. 16.5, 6, 7. And entring into the Sepulcher▪ they saw a young Man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white Garment, and they were affrighted. And he saith to them, Be not affrighted, you seek Iesus of Nazareth, which was Crucified, He is risen, he is not here. Behold the place where they laid him. But go your way, and tell his Disciples, and Peter, that he goeth before you into Galilee, there shall ye see him, as he said unto you. And they went out quickly, and fled from the Sepulcher, for they trembled, and were amazed, neither said they any thing to any Man, for they were afraid. Luke saith, Ch. 24, 3, 4. And they entred in, and found not the Body of the Lord Iesus, And it came to pass as they were much Perplexed thereabout, behold two Men stood by them in shining Garments. And as they were afraid, and bowed down their Faces to the Earth, and said unto them. Why seek ye the Living among the Dead? He is not here, he is Risen. Remember how he spake unto you, while he was yet in Galilee, saying, The Son of Man must be delivered into the Hands of Sinful Men, and be Crucified, and the third Day rise again. And they Remembred his Words, and returned from the Sepulcher, and told all these things unto the Eleven, and all the rest, it was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the Mother of James, and other Women which were with them, which told these things to the Apostles, and their Words seemed to them idle Tales, and they believed them not. Iohn saith, of Mary Magdalene only Ch. 20.2. Then she runeth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and the other Disciple whom Iesus loved, and said unto them, they have taken away the Lord out of the Sepulcher, and we know not where they have laid him. Matthew in this Relation omitteth many things more distinctly related by the other Evangelists, when the Women came to the Sepulcher, they first entred in. So saith Mark and Luke, it was within that they saw the Angel, Habited as it were in a long, white shining Garment, they were affrighted, (as we Naturally are upon Apparitions) they bowed down their Faces to the Earth. The Angel bids them not to fear, he knew that they sought Iesus of Nazareth, who was Crucified, Why seek you the Living amongst the Dead? He is not here, he is Risen. Sheweth to them the place where his Body was laid, mindeth them of Christs Words to them in Galilee, Chap. 17.23. bids them go tell his Disciples (Mark adds and Peter) that he was going before them into Galilee, and that there they should see him, as he had said unto them, Matth. 26.32. Mar. 14.28. They quickly departed from the Sepulcher (as Matthew saith) with fear and great joy, Mark saith, Trembling and Amazed. Iohn doth not say unbelieving, but he saith it in effect, for he saith, that they said to Simon Peter, They have taken away the Lord out of the Sepulcher, and we know not where they have laid him. The cause of their fear, and amazement, was doubtless the Apparition of the Angel. The cause of their sudden Joy, was the News, That he was Risen, told them by the Angel. It appeareth that their Joy was but a sudden [illegible: 1 letter]ash of Passion, not rising from the certainty of their Souls, as to the Truth of what they heard, because they said to the Disciples, that they did not believe it, but upon second thoughts concluded that some body had removed our Savioursbody, neither did the Apostles themselves believe it, as appeareth by Luke, he saith, they looked upon it as an idle Tale. Iohn saith expresly, Chap. 20, v. 9. As yet they knew not the Scripture, that he must rise again from the Dead. They knew it Notionally, but they did not give a firm and a fixed assent to it, they did not believe it. It was not, it seemeth, in the Power of their Wills, to believe this Article of Christs Resurrection, for as they had a Divine Revelation of the thing from Christ himself: So we cannot but think they had mind, and good Will enough to believe it. But God had not given them the Power of Faith as to this point.