fact, as well as in bearing witness to the miraculous actions of their Mafter, during his life*. And it is obfervable, that the very perfon, who had denied and abandoned his master in a more folemn and publick manner than the rest +, was, after this interval of time, more bold and active in impressing upon the minds of others, his great qualities, and high character; as if anxious to make amends, by fubfequent zeal, for former incredulity.

Now furely it is extremely difficult, if not entirely impoffible, to devise any reason for this change of fentiment, and of conduct, except we admit, that the difciples really believed the truth of what they taught. And as they afferted thefe extraordinary facts, not upon the authority of others, but upon the repeated evidence of their own fenfes, in matters, where their fenfes could

not

* Vid. Acts ii. 22. iii. 13. iv. 10, 33. vii. 52. x. 38. xiii. 30. xvii. 3, 31. xviii. 5, 28. xx. 21. xxvi. 23.

+ How delicately, yet how pointedly, does his mafter allude to St. Peter's warm profeffions of fuperiour attachment, and to his more confpicuous apoftacy. "Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than than these?" Compare John xxi. 15. with Mark xiv. 29. and Luke xxii. 33. Surely characters fupported with fuch uniform confiftency, and occurrences fo minutely detailed, demand our unqualified affent. Such incidental traits as these, speak more ftrongly to the accuracy of a narrative, than the most laboured defcriptions, or the most artificial arrangement.

not be deceived, I am unable to comprehend, how it can be practicable to evade the conclufion, that what they affirmed was true.

THE difciples, it is evident, muft know, whether Jefus really rofe from the dead, or not. They had no temptation to affert the fact, if it had been untrue: and they had shewn by their conduct before his death, and immediately after it, that if they had been mistaken or deceived in his character, they had not the courage, or the inclination, to defend and fupport it. Doubtlefs, from their behaviour at that period, it may be fairly inferred, that they were not infenfible to the impulfe of worldly, and ambitious motives; but still we should by no means be justified in concluding from those facts, that they would have countenanced an impofture, in order to promote fuch ends. Yet, upon

any other suppofition than that of their conviction that Jefus had actually and indeed risen from the grave, we must believe that these men voluntarily exposed themfelves to difgrace, pain, and even death*, for the fake of fupporting a lie: although they had given the clearest proof, that the

Vid. A&ts v. 41. xv. 26.

fear

fear of thefe worldly evils had prevented them from bearing teftimony to the truth, and defending the character of a man, whom they really revered.

INCONSISTENCY like this, without any affignable motive, nay, when every visible motive lay the contrary way, cannot be admitted to be probable; and when, by the eafy conceffion of believing these recorded truths, all these difficulties are immediately folved, is it not the duty of every serious inquirer, to relax from the pride and obstinacy of scepticism, and, in a strain of humble and grateful acknowledgement, to admit the interference of God?

STILL however the marks of truth, which may fo plainly be traced by a minute examination of the apoftles' conduct, have not been wholly enumerated. Upon points which the evidence of their fenfes had not reached, and when they thought it not inconsistent with their fixed belief that Jefus was the true Meffiah, we find, long after the refurrection, ftrong indications of the prejudices, which they had formerly entertained. It was ftill fome time before they could fully comprehend, that the Gentiles were to be admitted to the privileges of the

Gofpel,

Gofpel, without previous fubmiffion to the rites of the Mofaic law; that the ordinances of that law were become fuperfluous; and that the partition wall between the Jews and other nations was entirely to be broken down.

A REMARKABLE inftance of adherence to the mistaken opinions, which time and habit had fo strongly riveted, occurs in the conduct of that difciple, to whom we have had fuch frequent occafion to allude.

ST. PETER, we are told, was inftructed in a vision, that the diftinct and peculiar inftitutions of the Mofaic law were henceforth to be difpenfed with; yet the doctrine was so strange, fo contrary to his former prejudices, that he was at first "difobedient to the Heavenly vision." And even when he had proceeded to the houfe of a devout Gentile, in confequence of the rebuke, and the express direction, which he then received; and when the purport of the vision was confirmed by an indication of the divine favour towards thefe very Gentiles; still we find that former prepoffeffions were not wholly eradicated from the minds of those Jews, who were prefent. "For they of the circum

* Ephef. ii. 14.

circumcifion which believed, were aftonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles alfo was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghoft. For they heard them speak with tongues, and glorify God.” Then, and not till then, did the doubts and the fcruples of the Apostle himself, as to the propriety of baptizing those new converts, entirely vanish; yet at the fame time he finds it neceffary to give a reason, and almost to offer an apology, for his conduct: "Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghoft, as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord*.

If any one shall choose to look upon this vifion as the effect of enthusiasm, or the fuggeftion of fraud, I entreat him to confider, that an heated imagination is not apt to oppofe men's prejudices, and to confound their deeply-rooted opinions; it is not apt to fupply combinations, which the mind had not made before, or to diffolve thofe, which had been made; it is not apt to fuggeft modes of thinking, as grounds for acting, which if they ever had prefented

*Vid. Acts x.