liverer, their expected King, was dead and buried, and no one left to call Him from the grave, as he did Lazarus." Perhaps, too, the profpect of future difficulties oppreffed and terrified their minds. What could they look for, but the most violent oppofition, fince their rulers had now prevailed against their Mafter, to destroy him? We turn our attention from the forrowing disciples to their departed Lord. While his body remained as a lifeless corpfe in the tomb, whither did his fpirit retire? Or what are we to understand by that article of our creed, "He defcended into hell?" The full confideration of this point would not consist with the nature and brevity of our plan. But we observe, that, as the declaration is clearly deduced from fcriptural expreffions, we need not fcruple to use it, though different interpretations have been delivered by learned and pious men. Thus the prophet David fpeaks in the perfon of Meffiah, foretelling his refurrection, "Thou wilt not leave my foul in hell: neither wilt thou fuffer thine Holy One to fee corruption +." Nothing more, however, can be inferred from this paffage, than, that the Saviour should continue for a fhort feafon in a state of death, his foul among other departed fpirits in what is called HADES or HELL, and his body in the grave; and that, under the divine fuperintendence, the latter fhould be revived and again animated by the former, before putrefaction could take place. We proceed, then, to confider his return to life; Weft on the Resurrection, p. 102. The author thinks it incum bent upon him to acknowledge the fatisfaction and affiftance he has received from that ingenious and valuable publication, in which the different, and apparently contradictory, accounts of the Evangelifts refpecting the refurrection are perfectly reconciled, and fo arranged as to confirm each other. The reader, therefore, is apprized, that the statement of facts, which is here given, in proof of that important event, has been chiefly taken from Mr. Weft, + Pfal. xvi. 10. and and we should do it with devout affections, fince it is an article, which lies at the foundation of our faith and hope. Intimations of this event had been given to the Church of old, by various types and ceremonial reprefentations. It had, alfo, been declared by feveral prophets, particularly David and Ifaiah. Accordingly, the Apostles in their addreffes to the Jews maintained, that, Jefus had exactly fulfilled their fcriptures by his refurrection from the dead. He himself, as we have noted, had frequently predicted it, and on this very circumftance rifked all the credit of his miffion.. So that, if he be not rifen, he has not answered the proper character of the Meffiah, and has falfified his own affertions: the Gospel may be rejected as a fraud ct ; our faith is vain, and we are yet in our fins*" It will be neceffary to examine this matter with the greatest attention: and we should bless God, that he has not left us in a painful uncertainty, but afforded us fuch clear and decifive teftimony, that we know not what could be required further. We maintain, that no event in ancient history can be confirmed by ftronger atteftations: if these be rejected, we must withhold our affent from every narration, and treat all the records of antiquity as idle tales or impofitions. Infidels affect to be fcrupulous, and cavil at the most unexceptionable evidence in fupport of the Gospel; but, on other points, they readily admit the groffeft abfurdities. The fact, for which we contend, is, that Jefus of Nazareth, who died and was buried, did return to life, re-animate the fame body which had been safpended on the cross, come out of the fepulchre on the morning of the third day from his crucifixion, and appear to many different perfons at different times. Let the matter undergo a fair difcuffion: only let us 1 Cor. xv. 17. yield yield to the force of argument, and not refift our convictions. If the pofition be proved, let it be allowed, that the Chriftian builds his hope on a firm foundation, and may, without prefumption, rejoice in the affurance of a glorious immortality. A cloud of witneffes may be produced, whofe atteftations should. be feparately confidered. I. We appeal to the Roman foldiers, who were placed as a guard over the fepulchre. It seemed unlikely, that these men fhould deliver an evidence favourable to the caufe of the Gofpel. But this they have done in the most decifive manner. Very early in the morning, juft as it began to dawn, after a violent fhaking of the earth, an Angel defcended from heaven, and, rolling away the ftone, broke open the tomb*. Thus an opportunity was afforded, not only for the departure of Jefus, (who could eafily have forced his way through the rock) but also for the admiffion of others to examine and judge for themselves; especially as the fentinels were removed: for, notwithstanding their boafted courage, they were unable to maintain their poft. By the bright appearance of the Angel, whom they clearly faw, they were thrown into fuch confternation, that for fome time they lay upon the ground, as perfons dead. Being a little recovered from their terror, they fled with precipitate hafte into the city, where they reported the matter. Some of them carried the account to the chief priests, who could not but be amazed and confounded by fuch a teftimony, and yet were determined not to be convinced. A council of the elders was fummon. ed, amongst whom it was agreed to pay no ferious regard to the ftory, which yet they could not contradict, and to endeavour to prevent its probable effect upon the minds of others. They could not deny, that the stone was rolled away, and the body gone; Matt. xxviii. 1—4, 11—15. and and they perceived that these facts must foon be pub. licly known. But they bribed the foldiers to conceal the vifion of the Angel, and put into their mouths a ftrange, incoherent tale, as if the difciples of Jefus had opened the fepulchre and ftolen him away, while the guards themselves were asleep. This, it fhould feem, was the only defence ever pretended to be fet up by thofe, who denied the refurrection: a proof of the weakness of their cause, which could want fuch a fupport. There is fome-thing fo extremely abfurd and incongruous upon the very face of this forged account, that it carries with it its own confutation. Not to mention the improbability, that Roman fentinels fhould fall asleep upon their station, which would have made them liable to death, and especially that the whole company fhould be thus overtaken together; who can believe, that the difciples fhould be able to remove the heavy ftone,. which alone clofed up the grave, and that they should alfo bear off the body fo filently, as to give no disturb. ance to thofe, who were clofe at hand? Or, who can credit the relation of those, who had fo grofsly violated their duty, or allow them to vouch a matter, of which, by their own confeffion, they could not be witneffes? We afk further, why was not the charge brought home against the followers of Jefus? When the Apoftles, a few weeks afterwards, folemnly and confidently maintained before the rulers, that their Lord was rifen, and that they themselves had feen him, why were they not confronted with this ftory? The reason is obvious; it was not only deftitute of evidence, but would eafily have been confuted; and, therefore they were commanded merely to hold their peace. Their opponents, we perceive, admitted that the body, which had been fecured in the fepulchre, was gone, and, by the miferable shift made use of to evade conviction, they have not disproved, but rather confirmed, the relation of the Evangelift, who has given us a confiftent account of the fact. This is not the only inftance, in which the enemies of the Gofpel have confounded themselves, and ftrengthened the caufe, which they endeavoured to fubvert. How aftonishing is the power and wifdom of our God, who can turn the counfels of infidels into foolishness, and get himself glory by their malicious refiftance! II. We produce the atteftations of various witnesses, who carefully examined for themselves, and declared that Jefus had quitted the fepulchre. The coincidence of these feveral evidences adds much to their weight. Many pious women, chiefly thofe who followed their Lord from Galilee, and miniftered to his fupport, had made preparations for anointing and embalming his body with fpices. This laft tribute of refpect for him, whom they fo affectionately loved, they intended to pay early in the morning of the first day of the week, or the third from his crucifixion. It was agreed, that they should meet about fun-rifing at the grave, not knowing, probably, that any guard had been fixed there. It should feem, that they went in feparate companies, faw different vifions, and reported their obfervations to the Apoftles at diftinct times. This eafy and natural fuppofition perfectly reconciles the Evangelifts, whofe accounts, when thus taken together, make up one confiftent ftory. Mary Magdalene, the other Mary, and Salome, fet out first, before the hour appointed, that they might view the place, and confider what help might be neceffary for rolling away the ftone*. Juft at that juncture, probably, the refurrection was effected. Upon their approach, therefore, they found that the ftone was already removed. Immediately Mary Magdalene, fufpeing that the body of her Lord had been carried off by enemies, left her companions, and * Mat. xxviii. 1. Mar. xvi. 1-4. Lu. xxiv. 1—3. John xx. 1-10. returned |