He takes no notice at all of the preparation made by the women, mentioned by Luke; for that would not have agreed with the sequel of his story.

But to make up for that omission, he informs us of a circumstance not mentioned at all by the other Evangelists.

For he tells us that "on the next day which followeth the day of preparation, the Chief Priests, and Pharisees came together unto Pilate," &c.

"The next day which followeth the day of preparation!!"-- such is the periphrasis that he uses for the Sabbath day! It is well known that among the Jews it was, and is, customary to prepare, and set out, in the afternoon of the Friday, all the food and necessaries for every family during the Sabbath day.

Because they were forbidden to light a fire, or do any servile work, on that day; and therefore Friday was very properly called "the day of preparation." But it appears to me next to impossible, that any Jew would call the sabbath "the day that followeth the day of the preparation." Yet this singular historian so denominates it, and moreover, goes on to inform us, that the chief priests, and Pharisees went to Pilate to ask for a guard to place round the sepulchre, till the third day, to prevent his disciples from stealing away his body, and then saying, that he was risen from the dead; and that after obtaining the governor's permission, "they, went, and secured the sepulchre by sealing the stone that was rolled against it; and setting a watch." Though there appears nothing very strange in this account to a Christian, yet, I assure my reader, that to the Jews, it ever did, and must appear utterly incredible.