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The Spirit of Prophecy Volume 3
their post, they would not have passed the matter over so lightly, but
would have demanded a thorough investigation of the matter, and the
full penalty of the law upon the unfaithful soldiers.
Had they had the least faith in the truthfulness of their statements,
they would have called the disciples to account, and visited upon
them the most unrelenting punishment. That they did not do this was
a thorough proof of the innocence of the disciples, and of the fact
that the priests were driven to the dire necessity of fabricating and
circulating a lie to meet the evidence accumulating against them, and
establishing the truth of the resurrection of Jesus, and his claims as
the divine Son of God. The oft-repeated appearance of Jesus to his
disciples, and the persons of the dead who were resurrected with him,
also did much to plant the truth in the minds of those who were willing
to believe.
This fabrication of the Jews has a parallel in our time; the proud
persecutors of righteousness expend their time, influence, and money
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to silence or controvert the evidence of truth; and the most inconsis-
tent measures are taken to accomplish this object. And there are not
wanting persons of intelligence who will greedily swallow the most
ridiculous falsehoods because they accord with the sentiments of their
hearts. This reveals the sad fact that God has given them up to blind-
ness of mind, and hardness of heart. There are innocent persons, who
may be deceived for a time because of the confidence they place in
their deceivers; but if they are teachable, and really desire a knowledge
of the truth, they will have opportunity to perceive it. Doubts and
perplexities will vanish; they will discover the inconsistencies of their
false guides; for error itself bears a constrained testimony for the truth.
The priests and rulers were in continual dread lest, in walking the
streets, or within the privacy of their own homes, they should meet
face to face with the resurrected Christ. They felt that there was no
safety for them; bolts and bars seemed but poor protection against the
risen Son of God.
Before his death Jesus had, in the upper chamber, told his disciples
that after he was risen he would go before them into Galilee; and on
the morning of the resurrection the angel at the sepulcher had said
unto the women, “Go your way; tell his disciples, and Peter, that he
goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him, as he said unto
you.” The disciples were detained at Jerusalem during the passover