one consent, suffer themselves to be put to death rather than confess that they had told a lie? Such a thing never happened since the world began. It is contrary to all experience and all credibility, and would be, in itself, a greater miracle than any of those that are recorded in the gospel.

It is certain then (as certain as any thing can be that depends on human testimony) that real miracles were wrought by Christ; and as no miracles. can be wrought but by the power of God, it is equally certain that Christ and his religion drew their origin from God.*

* On the clear and evident marks of discrimination be tween the real miracles of the gospel and the pretended miracles of paganism and of popery, see Bishop Douglas's Criterion, and Dr. Paley's most masterly observations, in his view of the Evidences of Christianity, Prop. i. ch. ii. b. i. p. 329.

PROPOSITION XII.

The resurrection of our Lord from the dead, is a fact fully proved by the clearest evidence, and is the seal and confirmation of his divinity and of the truth of his religion.

THE resurrection of Christ being one of those miracles which are recorded in the gospel, the truth of it is, in fact, already proved by what has been advanced respecting those miracles in the preceding article. But it is an event so singular in its nature, and so infinitely important in its consequences, that it well deserves to be made the subject of a distinct proposition.

After our Saviour's crucifixion, Jo. seph of Arimathea, we are told, laid the body in his own new tomb, hewn out of a rock, and rolled a great stone

to the door of the sepulchre. In order to secure themselves against any fraud, the Jews desired the Roman governor, Pilate, to grant them a band of soldiers to guard the sepulchre, lest, as they said, the disciples should come by night and steal the corpse away.-Pilate's answer was in these words, "Ye have a watch, go your way, make it as sure as you can: So they went and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch."* The Evangelist then proceeds to relate the great event of the resurrection with that ingenuous and natural simplicity which characterizes the sacred historians, and which carries upon the face of it the face of it every mark of sincerity and truth.

"In the end of the sabbath, as it be. gan to dawn towards the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalen, and the other Mary, to see the sepulchre. And

Matth. xxvii. 65, 66.

behold there was a great earthquake; for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow. And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. And the angel of the Lord answered, and said unto the women, Fear not ye; for I know that ye seek Jesus that was crucified. He is not here, for he is risen from the dead; and behold he goeth before you into Galilee, there ye shall see him. Lo! I have told you. And as they went to tell his disciples, behold Jesus met them, saying, All hail; and they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him. Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid; go tell my brethren, that they go into Galilee, and there they shall see me. Now, when they were going, behold some of the watch came

into the city, and shewed unto the chief priests all that was done. And when they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto the soldiers, saying, Say ye, his disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept; and if this come to the governor's ears, we will persuade him and secure you. So they took the money, and did as they were taught; and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews unto this day."*

Such is the relation of this wonderful fact given by St. Matthew, which comprehends not only his own account of it, but that also which was circulated in opposition to it by the chief priests and rulers of the Jews. Here then we have fairly before us the two different representations of this event by the friends and by the enemies of Christ;

* Matth. xxviii, 1, 16.