Page:PracticalCommentaryOnHolyScripture.djvu/757



ARLY in  the  morning  of  the  third  day,  there  was  a great earthquake. At the  same  moment  Jesus  rose  and  came forth from  the  tomb,  glorious  and  immortal. And an  angel came down  from  heaven. His face  shone  like  lightning,  and his garments  were  white  as  snow. So terrified  were  the  guards at his  appearance  that  they  swooned  away,  and  became  as  dead men. But the  angel  rolled  the  stone  from  the  door  of  the  sepulchre and  sat  upon  it.

As soon  as  the  guards  recovered  from  their  terror,  they  ran in great  haste  to  the  city  to  tell  what  they  had  seen.

Towards sunrise,  Mary  Magdalen,  and  Salome,  and  Mary Cleophas brought  spices  to  the  sepulchre,  intending  to  embalm the Body  of  Jesus. As they  drew  near  the  sepulchre  they  said one to  another:  “Who  shall  roll  us  back  the  stone  from  the  door of the  sepulchre?”

When they  came  to  the  place  they  found  that  the  stone  had already been  rolled  away. Surprised and  alarmed,  they  entered in, and  behold  the  Body  of  Jesus  was  not  there! Great, then,