This particular design may appear sometimes, but not always, nor often.
Thus I think that the particular design which Saint Matthew had in view
whilst he was writing the history of the resurrection was to attest the
faithful performance of Christ's promise to his disciples to go before
them into Galilee; because he alone, except Mark, who seems to have
taken it from him, has recorded this promise, and he alone has confined
his narrative to that single appearance to the disciples which fulfilled
it. It was the preconcerted, the great and most public manifestation of
our Lord's person. It was the thing which dwelt upon Saint Matthew's
mind, and he adapted his narrative to it. But, that there is nothing in
Saint Matthew's language which negatives other appearances, or which
imports that this his appearance to his disciples in Galilee, in
pursuance of his promise, was his first or only appearance, is made
pretty evident by Saint Mark's Gospel, which uses the same terms
concerning the appearance in Galilee as Saint Matthew uses, yet itself
records two other appearances prior to this: "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" (xvi.
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