Matthew Poole and continuators on Matthew 28:10

Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid, go tell my brethren, that they go unto Galilee, and there shall they see me.

Matthew repeateth this very shortly. Mark saith, Chap. 16.9. Now when Iesus was Risen early, the first Day of the Week he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he [illegible: 1 letter]ad cast seven Devils. And she went, and told them that she had been with him, as they Mourned, and W[illegible: 1 letter]pt. And they when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not. Luke saith, Then (that is, when Mary Magdalene and the other Mary had come, and told the Disciples what they had seen and heard, tho at first they gave no credit to it) a[illegible: 1 letter]ise Peter and ran unto the Sepulcher, and stooping down, he beheld the Linnen Cloths laid by themselves, and departed wondring in himself, at that which was come to pass, Luke 24.12. Iohn relateth this more distinctly, in Chap. 20. v. 3, 4, 5. &c. Peter therefore went forth, and the other Disciple (whom Iesus loved, as v. 2. (and that was Iohn himself, who wrote that Gospel, Iohn 13.23.) and came to the Sepulcher, so they ran both together, and the other Disciple did out-run Peter, and came first to the Sepulcher, and he sto[illegible: 1 letter]ping down, and looking in, saw the Linnen Cloths lying, yet he went not in. Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went in to the Sepulcher, and seeth the Linnen Cloths [illegible: 1 letter]e, and the Napkin that was about his Head, not lying with the Linnen Cloths, but wrapped [illegible: 1 letter]ogether, in a place by it self. Then went in also that other Disciple, which came first to the Sepulcher, and he saw, and believed. For as yet they knew not the Scripture, that he must Rise again from the Dead. Then the Disciples went away again unto their own Home. But Mary stood without at the [illegible: 1 word] Weeping, and as she Wept, she stooped down, and looked into the Sepulcher, and seeth two Angels in white, the one at the Head, the other at the Feet, where the Body of Iesus had [illegible: 1 word], and they say unto her, Woman! why weepest thou? She saith unto them, because they have taken away my Lord, and I kn[illegible: 1 letter]w not where they have laid him,—and when she had said thus she turned her self back and saw Iesus standing, and knew not that it was Iesus. Iesus saith unto her, Woman! why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She (supposing him to be the Gardener) saith unto him, Sir if thou hast Born him hence, tell me where thou hast [illegible: 1 letter]aid him, and I will take him away. Iesus saith unto her. Mary, She turneth, and s[illegible: 2 letters]th unto him, Rabboni, which is to say, Master, Iesus sa[illegible: 1 letter]h unto her, Touch me not, for I am not yet ascended to my Father. But go to my Brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto your Father, and my Father, and to my God, and your God. Mary Magdalene came, and told the Disciples, that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her. What there is particularly to be Noted upon the several particulars in Iohns Relation, I shall observe when I come to that Chapter of Iohn, I have only at present Transcribed it, that from the comp[illegible: 1 letter]ring it with the other Evangelists, we might understand the order of this History. And as they went to tell his Disciples. 3. This seemeth to be their second going, and the order to be thus. When Mary and the rest came to the Disciples, and told them they had been at the Sepulchre, and what they had there seen, and [illegible: 1 letter]eard, they believed it not. But yet it being close by the City, and not knowing what to think, Peter resolves to go and see, and so doth Iohn, they both run, but Iohn comes there first, but goes not into the Sepulchre, but only looks in, and saw the linnen cloaths lying. Peter comes (for it was very near the Gates of the City) he goeth in, seeth the linneth clothes, and the Napkin. Then Iohn also adventureth to go in and saw and believed; he is the first is said to have believed. Then they went home. But Mary staid, weeping, and now and then looking into the Sepulchre, she seeth not the clothes only, but two Angels, sitting the one at the Head, the other at the Feet of the place where the Body of Christ did lie▪ They ask her why she wept, she tells them, Because they had taken away her Lord, and she did not know where they had laid him. Now saith Iohn, when she had said thus [non-Latin text not transcribed] we translate it. She turned her self back, and saw Iesus s[illegible: 1 letter]anding, Ioh. 20.14. which seemeth to contradict our Evangelist Matthew who saith, As they went to tell his Disciples, behold Iesus met them, and said, All Hail, our translation now would make one think, that Mary was still at the Sepulcher, and there looking back she saw Iesus, and this seemeth either to assert that Mary saw Christ twice, once at the Sepulchre, once in her return to the City, or else to contradict Matthew, but the Gr. words may be translated, She was turned backward, that was going back to tell his Disciples, and met Christ, who saluted her saying, All Hail; tho Mary Magdalene be only named, and po[illegible: 1 letter]sibly all the Women who were with her at first, did not come back with her the second time, yet it is plain she was not alone, for Matthew saith, They came, and held him by the feet, and Worshipped him, he bids her b[illegible: 1 letter] not afraid, but go, and tell his Disciples, they should meet him in Galilee, for the other discourse betwixt him and Mary, we shall meet with it when we come to that Chapter, in St. Iohns Gospel, where it is mentioned. Mark saith, that when they had heard he was alive, and had been seen of her, they believed not. We do not read that the Angels appeared either to Peter or Iohn, much less that Christ as yet shewed himself to them; so they had only the Testimony of Mary as to these things, and their own view of the empty Sepulchre, and the clothes lying by. How hard a thing it is to believe Spiritual Mysteries, above the reach of our Reason? so hard, that no revelation of Flesh and Blood, is sufficient to beget such a Faith.

Marginal references: John 20.17,