There can be no doubt, therefore, from the evidence of the fact furnished by the adversaries of the name and faith of Christ, that they were convinced he was actually risen from the dead: and yet it has been repeatedly urged by the opposers of revelation, as an objection to the credibility of Christ's resurrection, that he did not show himself after his death to the chief priests and Jews. Various reasons, however, may be satisfactorily assigned, why it was not proper that it should be so. In the first place, when the cruel and inveterate malice, which they had evinced towards Jesus, is considered, as well as the force of their prejudices, it is not probable that they would have submitted to the evidence. They had attributed his miracles to the power of the devil; and his raising Lazarus from the dead, of which they had full information, only stimulated them to attempt to destroy him. Instead of being wrought upon, by the testimony of the soldiers, they endeavoured to stifle it. Besides, if Jesus had shown himself to them after his passion, and they had pretended that it was a spectre or delusion, and had still continued to refuse to acknowledge him, it would have been urged as a strong presumption against the reality of his resurrection. But, secondly, let it be supposed that Jesus had not only appeared to them after his resurrection, but that they themselves had acknowledged its truth and reality, and had owned him for their Messiah, and had brought the Jewish nation into the same belief; can it be imagined that those who now make the above objection, would be satisfied? It is most probable that the testimony of the priests and rulers, in such case, would have been represented as a proof that the whole was artifice and imposture, and that they were influenced by some political motive. Their testimony, moreover, if truth had extorted it from them, and if they had possessed honesty and resolution sufficient to avow it, would have been liable

to suspicion. For it would have been the testimony of men, whose minds must have been oppressed and terrified by a consciousness of their guilt and it might have been said, that they were haunted by ghosts and spectres, and that their imagination converted a phantom into the real person of him, whom they had exposed to public derision, and sentenced to an ignominious death. Their testimony would have gained little credit with men of their own rank and station, and of principles and characters similar to their own. It would have died with themselves, and produced no effect beyond the circle of their own acquaintance, and the age in which they lived. And, in the third place, the character and religion of Christ might have been very materially injured by his appearance to the Jewish priests and rulers, after his resurrection. They had no right to expect this kind of evidence. No good purpose could be answered by it: on the contrary, it might have been very detrimental in its effects. If they had remained unconvinced, which most probably might have been the case, the fact would have been questioned. The multitude would have become obstinate and irreclaimable in their incredulity; and they would have pleaded the authority of their superiors in station and office, as an apology for neglecting inquiry, and rejecting the means

of conviction. If they had been convinced, without honesty and resolution to declare the truth, the fact would still have been considered as doubtful or of no great importance. But if with their conviction they connected the public avowal of its truth, Jesus Christ would have incurred the charge of being an impostor, and his religion of being a fraud. Loud would have been the clamour of a combination. Suspicion would have attached itself to the evidence of men, who had the care of his sepulchre, who appointed the guard and sealed the stone that secured it, and who could easily have propagated a report which would have gained credit with the servile multitude. Christianity would have been represented, by persons who are prone to ascribe all religion to state policy, as a contrivance of the priests and magistrates of Judæa, to answer some purpose of worldly emolument or ambition. Its progress and prevalence would have been attributed to the secular influence of its advocates and it would have been deprived of that most distinguishing and satisfactory evidence, which it now possesses; that it derived its origin from God, and owed its success to the signal interposition of divine power. But the inveterate opposition of the Jewish priests and rulers to the cause, and their violent persecution of the Christians, removed all suspicion of priestcraft and political design. If the disciples had agreed to impose upon the world in this affair, common sense would have directed them, first to spread the report that Jesus Christ was risen from the grave, and then to employ an individual whom they could trust, to personate him, and to appear before the multitude in such a manner and at such times as would not endanger a discovery: as, however, Christ never appeared to the multitude after his resurrection, this removed all suspicion that the disciples had contrived a scheme for deceiving the people.

These considerations show that Christ's appearance, after he rose from the dead, only to a competent number of witnesses, who were intimately acquainted with him before his decease, is a circumstance highly calculated to establish the truth of his resurrection to posterity.

3. The character of the apostles also proves the truth of the resurrection of Christ; and there are ten considerations, which give their evidence sufficient weight. Observe the condition and the number of these witnesses, their incredulity, and slowness in believing the resurrection of Christ, the moral impossibility of their succeeding in imposing upon others, the facts which they themselves avow, the agreement of their evidence, the tribunals before which they stood, the time when this evidence was given, -the place where they bore their testimony to the resurrection, and their motives for doing so.

(1.) Consider the CONDITION of these witnesses.

Had they been men of opulence and credit in the world, we might have thought that their reputation gave currency to the fable. If they had been learned and eloquent men, we might have imagined that the style, in which they had told the tale, had soothed the souls of the people into a belief of it. But the reverse of all this was the fact for the apostles were the lowest of mankind, without reputation

to impose upon the people, without authority to compel, and without riches to reward. They were also mean, despised, and unlearned men, and consequently very unequal to the task of imposing upon others. When all these circumstances are considered, it is impossible to conceive that persons of this character could succeed.

(2.) Consider the NUMBER of these witnesses, and also of the actual appearances of Jesus Christ, which number was more than sufficient to establish any fact.

By seven different credible authors, viz. the apostles, Matthew, John, Paul, Peter, and James, and the evangelists, Luke and Mark not fewer than eleven distinct appearances of Christ after his resurrection, and previously to his resurrection, namely,

1. To Mary Magdalen alone (Mark xvi. 9.) who saw Jesus standing. (John xx. 14.) 2. To the women who were returning from the sepulchre to announce his resurrection to the disciples. "Behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail! and they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him." (Matt. xxvii. 9, 10.) 3. To Simon Peter alone. (Luke xxiv. 34.)

4. To the two disciples who were going to Emmaus, with whom he conversed and brake bread, and then made himself known to them. (Luke xxiv. 13—31.) 5. To the apostles at Jerusalem, excepting Thomas, who was absent. (John xx. 19, 20.)

6. Eight days afterwards to the disciples, Thomas being present. (John xx. 26 -29.)

7. At the sea of Tiberias, when seven of his disciples were fishing, with whom he ate food. (John xxi. 1-15.)

8. To the eleven apostles, on a mountain in Galilee, where Jesus had appointed to meet them. (Matt. xxviii. 16, 17.)

9." After that he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once." (1 Cor. xv. 6.) 10. "After that he was seen of James." (1 Cor. xv. 7.)

11. And lastly, by all the apostles (1 Cor. xv. 7.) on Mount Olivet, on the day of his ascension into heaven. (Luke xxiv. 51. Acts i. 9.)

On these various appearances, it is to be remarked, that Christ was seen at different hours of the day, — early in the morning, by Mary Magdalen and the other women, - during the day, by Peter, by the seven disciples at the sea of Tiberias, by the apostles at his ascension, and by Stephen, and in the evening by the ten apostles, and by Cleopas and his companion, so that they could not be pos sibly mistaken as to the reality of his person. But we no where read that he appeared at midnight, when the senses and imagination might be imposed upon. Further, the several distances of time and place at which Jesus showed himself, merit attention. His two first appearances were early in the morning on which he arose. One of them was just by the sepulchre, the other in the way from it to Jerusalem. The third on some part of the same day. The fourth in the evening of it, on the road to Emmaus, and in a house in that village, which was between seven and eight miles from Jerusalem. The fifth, at Jerusalem, on a later hour of the same evening. The sixth, a week after, at the same city. The seventh, about sixty miles from it, by the sea of Tiberias. The time and place at which he was seen by James are not recorded. A ninth appearance was in some other part of Galilee. Forty days after his resurrection he again met the apostles at Jerusalem, and led them out to Bethany, that they might see him go up to the Father. A few years after this Stephen saw him; (Acts vii. 55, 56. 59, 60.) and in about a year from that 1 Newcome's Review of the Difficulties relating to Christ's Resurrection, and Benson's Life of Christ, ch. xii.

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time he appeared to Paul, near Damascus, (Acts ix. 3-9. 1 Cor. xv. 8; ix. 1.) to whom he communicated his Gospel by immediate revelation. (Gal. i. 11-20.)1

The different kinds of conversation and intercourse which Jesus held with the different persons to whom he showed himself, have great propriety, and increase the evidence of his resurrection. As the apostles were to be witnesses of Christ to the whole world, his appearances, conversations, and actions, after his resurrection, are well adapted to excite their attention, gradually to diminish and at length to remove their surprise; and thus to fit their minds for attending with calmness and impartiality to the evidence of the fact, and to afford them the strongest and most undoubted proofs of it. The women, by seeing that the body was not in the sepulchre, (John XX. 2.) and being told by the angel that he was alive, (Luke xxiv. 4 -10.) would, of course, be rather in expectation of seeing him, though with a mixture of fear.

At his first appearance he permitted himself to be seen by Mary Magdalen; not to be touched. But he sent her to prepare the apostles for beholding him alive again, (John xx. 11-18.; Mark xvi. 9, 10.) by telling them that he should ascend to the Father. This report encouraged Peter and John to run to the sepulchre, where seeing only the linen cloths and the napkin, they returned, wondering at what had passed, perplexed how to account for it (Luke xxiv. 12. John xx. 6—10.); and therefore in a state of mind to attend to further evidence, and yet not to receive it unless it was valid. When Jesus showed himself to the other Mary, Joanna, Salome, &c. he addressed them with the usual salutation, let them take hold of his feet and pay him homage, bade them not be afraid, but go and tell his brethren to go into Galilee, and there they should see him. (Matt. xxviii. 9, 10.) This was further evidence to the apostles, and increased their hope of seeing Jesus themselves. His third appearance, to Peter, would probably convince him, and would be a strong additional proof to the other apostles. His walking to Emmaus with Cleopas, and another disciple, and explaining to them all the prophecies concerning himself; going into the village, and sitting at meat with them; taking bread, blessing, breaking and giving it to them; were such undoubted proofs of his recovery to life again, that the two disciples could not refrain from returning that very evening to Jerusalem, to report what they had seen and heard to the apostles. (Luke xxiv. 13-35.) While they were speaking, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them; and after asking them why they doubted, bade them look attentively at his hands and feet, and handle him, that they might be thoroughly convinced he had flesh and bones, and that it was not a spirit which appeared to them. He then ate fish and honey-comb before them. Having thus clearly demonstrated to them that he was actually restored to life again, he showed them that he fulfilled the prophecies concerning himself as the Messiah; particularly those relating to his sufferings, death and resurrection; and appointed them to be his witnesses to the world, and preachers of his Gospel to all nations. (Luke xxiv. 33, 36-49. John xx. 19–25.)

1 Newcome's Review of the Difficulties relating to Christ's Resurrection, and Benson's Life of Christ, ch. xii.

Such undoubted proofs of his real resurrection kept their minds in the pleasing expectation of some further manifestations of his divine commission. All these interviews and conversations in one day afforded abundant matter for consideration. We are not informed, therefore, that he was seen any more till the eighth day after. During this interval, the apostles would have leisure to revolve calmly the several distinct facts which clearly and decisively proved that he was truly risen from the dead. Thomas not being present at his interview with the other apostles, Jesus showed himself again to them all on the following first day of the week. He then submitted to a re-examination, and desired Thomas to put his finger into the prints of the nails, and to thrust his hand into his side, in the presence of them all. (John xx. 26-29.) After this, it does not appear that any of the apostles entertained the least doubt. Their obedience to Jesus, who commanded them to meet him in Galilee, (Matt. xxviii. 16.) then to return to Jerusalem, (Acts i. 4.) and to wait there for the promise of the Father (Acts ii. 4.); are decisive proofs of their firm faith in the reality of his resurrection. This may be one reason, why so few subsequent appearances of our Lord are particularly mentioned. The free and varied mutual conversation which Christ held with the seven disciples by the sea of Tiberias, after his appearance to all the eleven; his eating again with them; his particular queries and directions to Peter, and his predictions concerning him and John (John xxi. 1-23.), repeated some proofs, and added others, to confirm and establish their faith. That their fear and surprise at his appearance to them was now considerably diminished by the repetition of it, is evident from the strain of the conversation between Jesus and Peter, which is more easy than any that is recorded in the former appearances. James, also, having seen Christ alone, (1 Cor. xv. 7.) would be an additional proof both to himself and to the rest of the disciples. As each would naturally communicate to his brethren what he had seen, heard, and felt, to convince him that Jesus was really alive again, the minds of the disciples in general would be prepared for further evidence. A still more public appearance than any former one if appointed by Christ himself (Matt. xxviii. 16.) previous to his death, (xxvi. 32.) and if it actually took place after that event, would afford this proof. Such an appearance would give to each an additional ground of conviction that he could not be deceived, if a far greater number than had ever before seen Jesus together were present at the time, and distinctly formed the same idea with himself. In Galilee, therefore, he thus appeared (1 Cor. xv. 6.); a region in which he had lived till his thirtieth year; where he had often preached, and been seen in public; where he wrought his first, and the greater part of his other miracles; the native country of most of the apostles and disciples; where from being best known before his death, he would be the more accurately distinguished to be the same person after it, and where any imposture would be soonest and most easily detected. Here was he actually seen alive by above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part were not dead, when Paul, several years after, wrote his first epistle to the Christian church at Corinth. When the great apostle of the Gentiles published his defence of Christ's resurrection in that epistle, he declared to the world that