[30:1] But in due time an earthquake shook the cemetery--"The angel of
the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from
the door and sat upon it ... and for fear of him the keepers did shake,
and became as dead men." [30:2] Our Lord meanwhile came forth from the
grave, and the sentinels, in consternation, hastened to the chief
priests and communicated the astounding intelligence. [30:3] But these
infatuated men, instead of yielding to the force of this overwhelming
evidence, endeavoured to conceal their infamy by the base arts of
bribery and falsehood. "They gave large money unto the soldiers,
saying--Say ye--His disciples came by night and stole him away while we
slept...so they took the money, and did as they were taught." [30:4]

Jesus, as the first-born of Mary, was presented in the temple forty days
after His birth; and, as "the first-begotten of the dead," [30:5] He
presented Himself before His Father, in the temple above, forty days
after He had opened the womb of the grave. During the interval he
appeared only to His own followers. [30:6] Those who had so long and so
wilfully rejected the testimony of His teaching and His miracles, had
certainly no reason to expect any additional proofs of His Divine
mission. But the Lord manifests Himself to His Church, "and not unto the
world," [30:7] and to such as fear His name He is continually supplying
new and interesting illustrations of His presence, His power, His
wisdom, and His mercy. Whilst He is a pillar of darkness to His foes, He
is a pillar of light to His people. Though Jesus was now invisible to
the Scribes and Pharisees, He admitted His disciples to high and holy
fellowship. Now their hearts burned within them as He spake to them "of
the things pertaining to the kingdom of God," [31:1] and as "He
expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning
Himself." [31:2] Now He doubtless pointed out to them how He was
symbolised in the types, how He was exhibited in the promises, and how