mind was stirred up to assist in performing the last office for our blessed Lord. The harmonised text in

forms us,

Secondly, That these two persons shared the labour and expence between them. We are told that 'Joseph bought fine linen, in order to wrap up the body of Jesus;' and that Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight, and costly spices. The linen was steeped in this aromatic mixture or ointment; and then the body of Jesus being first washed, was wrapped and wound in linen clothes. This preparation of the body of our blessed Saviour for interment had been prefigured in his life, (John xii. 7.) when a devout woman called Mary anointed him, as it were, for his burial. For on that occasion, our blessed Lord plainly intimated that a like honour would be paid him after his death. Thus he shewed himself a true prophet concerning his death and burial; and an honour was shewn him in the latter, which only the most wealthy among the Jews of that age could afford. The blessed Jesus was born poor, and died so; but he was rich in external ornaments twice during his abode on earth; once soon after his entrance into the world, whither he came poor, naked, and helpless, like the meanest of his brethren; and a second time immediately after his death, which was also accompanied with poverty, nakedness, and ignominy. Soon after our Saviour's birth, some great personages among the eastern gentiles presented him with gold, frankincense, and myrrh; and after his death, two persons of wealth and distinction among the Jews anointed him with the most costly aromatics and spices. Thus was the end of his continuance on earth attended with more splendor, than his first entrance upon it. At his birth, when he entered on his state of humiliation, he was wrapped up in mean swaddling clothes; but at his burial, when his. state of abasement drew towards a period, he was wrapped up in fine linen dipped in the most costly oint

ments. By this circumstance was literally fulfilled what is said of the Messiah in the forty-fifth Psalm, (verse 8.) Thy garments [namely thy grave clothes] smell of myrrh, aloes, and cassia.' Let us now make the following observations on this subject:

1. We may here observe the gradual progress of the spiritual life in Nicodemus, which are particularly taken notice of in the gospel. He is first described coming by night to Christ, and represented as a child, (John ii. 2.) who was to learn the very first elements of our Saviour's doctrine. He is afterwards described as a disciple, opposing his wicked colleagues and saying to them, Doth our law judge any man before it hear him, and know what he doth ?' (John vii. 50, 51, 52.) in answer to which question he receives this reprimand, 'Art thou also of Galilee? search, and look; for out of Galilee arise th no prophet. But here, at the death of Christ, he appears a spiritual man in his full growth and perfect vigour; who at a time when the cause of Jesus seemed desperate, publicly owns himself his disciple, and brings precious aromatics to prepare his body for the burial.

2. No expences are better bestowed than those employed on Christ and his members, either in cloathing them when naked, or bestowing on them such other comforts as they want.

O that the rich of this world would well consider this, and bestow some part of their superfluities in works of charity and beneficence! This would bring down a real blessing on them; for what is bestowed on his poor brethren, Christ accepts as if it was bestowed on himself. Nicodemus's expences in magnificent houses, gay equipage, &c. are lost and buried in oblivion. But the expences he was at in burying the Lord Jesus, the vast quantity of rich and costly spices which he contributed on that occasion, are entered in God's book of remembrance, and will be rewarded in the sight of angels and men at the great day of retribution. Let those rich men, who would

be thus happy, tread in his foot-steps; and what they have hitherto superfluously lavished away on vain ornaments, or on their pleasures, let them bestow on Christ's poor brethren, and they shall be openly commended and rewarded by the Son of God, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with myriads of angels.

3. By long conferring with flesh and blood, we neglect many happy opportunities of doing good to the members of Christ.

The devout women, who had followed the Lord Jesus from Galilee, also brought spices and ointments, (Luke xxiii. 56.) and came to anoint him on that morning when he rose from the dead. But they came too late for our blessed Lord had already left his grave, and was risen. He who has a mind to do good, let him do it without delay. Good opportunities, like riches, have wings, and fly away before we are

aware.

4. Lastly, The imperfections that usually attend our good works are covered by our love to the Lord Jesus, which flows from our faith in him.

It must be allowed, that there was a weakness attending the good offices of these worthy personages. This appears in their anointing the sacred body of the blessed Jesus, in order to preserve it from putrefaction; whereas it was written in the Psalms concerning the Messiah, Thou wilt not suffer thy HOLY ONE to see corruption,' (Psalm xvi. 10.) But this weakness is entirely overlooked on account of that cordial love to the Lord Jesus, from which it proceeded. The Spirit of God, instead of representing this foible of entertaining such an erroneous idea of Christ, as a crime, mentions it as the effect of their love and esteem for the deceased, and passes over their weakness.—~ Let us therefore pray to our faithful Saviour, that he will shed abroad his love in our hearts, and inflame us with a laudable emulation by the two noble cxamples, of which we have now been treating.

THE PRAYER.

O FAITHFUL Saviour, we thank thee that out of thy transcendent love to our souls, thou hast by thy death descended into such a helpless state, as to stand in need of the assistance of others: Praised be thy name for inclining the hearts of Joseph and Nicodemus to pay the last honours to thy breathless body, after thy painful ignominious death; by which thou hast prefigured that honour which was destined to our bodies, in being made temples of the Holy Spirit. We are assured that if, in following thee, we hold out to the end, even our pain and ignominy will be swallowed up in eternal bliss and glory. Give us a heart to love thee our crucified Saviour, and to rejoice at every opportunity of shewing our love to thee by relieving thy poor members. Grant this for the sake of thy love. Amen.

CONSIDERATION XV.

THE BURIAL OF THE LORD JESUS. 'NOW in the place where he was crucified, there was a garden; and in the garden a new supulchre, which Joseph had caused to be hewn out of a rock, wherein never man before was laid. Here laid they Jesus, therefore, because of the Jews preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand. And they rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed. And the women also, who came with him from Galilee, foliowed after. Among these were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of Joses, who sat over against the sepulchre, and beheid how and where his body was laid. And they returned and prepared spices and ointments, and rested the Sabbath day, according to the commandment. Now the next day that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and pharisees came together unto Pikate, saying, Sir, we re

member that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again. Command therefore, that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day; least his disciples come by night and steal him away, and say unto the people, he is risen from the dead: So the last error shall be worse than the first. Pilate said unto them, ye have a watch; go your way, make it as sure as you can. So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, snd setting a watch,' (Matt. xxvii. 60-66. Mark, xv. 46, 47. Luke xxiii. 53--56. John xix. 41, 42.)

In these words we have an account of the interment of the Lord Jesus; in which are mentioned,

First, The sepulchre, in which the body of our Saviour was deposited.

Secondly, The burial, or interment.

Thirdly, The different behaviour of our Lord's friends and enemies on this occasion.

I. The sepulchre, in which our Saviour's body was deposited, offers the following particulars to our consideration.

First, The place where this sepulchre was:

'Now in the place where he was crucified, there was a garden.' This sepulchre therefore was in a garden contiguous to Mount Golgotha. The scripture makes particular mention of three gardens.

1. The garden of Eden, where sin and the curse due to it commenced, by our first parents' transgression of God's command.

2. The garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives, which was the scene where the sufferings of Christ began, by which sin and the curse were to be abolished and done away.

3. This garden, in which, after our Saviour's sufferings, sin and the curse were, as it were, buried with him in his death.

It was not unusual amongst the Orientals to have their sepulchres in their gardens, an instance of which we have in the second book of Kings, (chap. xxi. 18.)