customary offices, having been told by "the angel, He is not here, he is risen," and directed to "go and tell his disciples," as they were on their way, were met by Jesus. He accosted them with," All hail: and they came and held him by the feet and worshipped him. First he appeared to Mary Magdalene," and then to two others. Afterwards he appeared to the eleven as they sat at meat. He appeared to two who went to the village of Emmaus.* After these things he showed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias." He appeared also to "five hundred brethren at once."+

But the fact of His resurrection is attested by the conduct and the success of the Apostles. How was it that these men, before so timid, became afterwards so bold? How was it that they were endued with such wondrous power of working miracles? Beholding Peter, who, a short time previous, trembled at the question of a maid-servant, standing in the midst of Jerusalem, and boldly charging home upon the Chief Priests and Pharisees, the murder of his Master; observing the wondrous gift of tongues; marking the amazing success that attended his preaching-three thousand being converted to the faith;—we have the strongest evidence that Jesus indeed arose from the dead. This was in the midst of the very city that had crucified

* Matt. xxviii, and Mark 16, &c. † 1 Cor. xv. 6.

*

Him. It would have been easy to confute Peter, if confutation had been possible: and we may be well assured, that, instead of three thousand being converted, the college of Apostles would have been immediately slain, if the fact of the resurrection had not been manifest. Our blessed Lord "took again his body, with flesh, bones, and all things appertaining to the perfection of man's nature." We are informed that He "sat at meat with"* the Disciples at Emmaus. Again, when Thomas expressed his doubt, He said, "Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand and thrust it into my side." Again, as He stood in the midst of" the disciples, they being affrighted, supposing that they saw a spirit, He said to them, "Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me have.-Moreover, they gave Him a piece of a boiled fish and an honey comb. And he took it, and did eat before them." Thus had they the evidence of sight and of touch:they ate and drank with Him: they beheld and examined the very wounds He had received on the cross: they conversed with Him about the things of "the kingdom." And, for forty days, by infallible proofs, did they receive the testimony that Christ had risen from

* Luke xxiv. † John xx. and Luke xxiv. ‡ Acts i. 3.

the dead. It is to be remarked, moreover, that He showed Himself chiefly in Galilee, where He had spent the greater part of the period of His incarnation, and where, therefore, there was the fuller opportunity of knowing that it was He Himself.

That the Apostles and other disciples are credible witnesses, we are well assured. Not only did they go forth testifying the fact of the resurrection, they laid down their lives in confirmation of that fact. Now we know it is easy for men to delude themselves concerning the truth of an opinion. The most honest often speculate incorrectly, and there have been martyrs to various kinds of fanaticism. But the fact of the resurrection came under the cognizance of the senses. Those who proclaimed it had the strongest and fullest evidence in attestation of its truth. That evidence consisted not of the mere workings of their own imaginations-the vagaries of their own fancy,but the touch and the vision of their own hands and eyes. And this, not in a few individuals, but several hundred; and several hundred of those most intimate with our Lord before His crucifixion, and, therefore, least liable to be deceived.

But the disciples are not the only witnesses. The multitudes in Jerusalem, who afterward joined them, and among the rest, "a great

company of the priests,"* are also evidence. They had full opportunity of ascertaining whether what the disciples said was true. The proof of the resurrection was fully in their power, and they, we may well conclude, would not, at the hazard of all that life holds dear, have declared themselves believers, if they had not known that Christ arose from the dead.Among the rest, I would mention Paul; a man well qualified, by the strength of his mind, and the extent of his learning, to ascertain the truth: a man brought up at the feet of Gamaliel, nursed in all the prejudices against the "sect every where spoken against;"+ a Pharisee of the Pharisees; moreover a leading persecutor: he would not have turned the tide of his energy into the path of the Gospel, if he had not been well assured Christ rose from the dead.

But even these were not all. The numerous churches gathered in all around Judea, are so many more witnesses. They, in the pride of their philosophy, despised the Jews; and they were illy disposed to receive any doctrine from among them. When, therefore, the Apostles came into their cities preaching the resurrection, they, after recovering sufficiently from their contempt to listen, examined fully into the subject before they gave their credence.— When, then, we see the unconverted among

Acts vi. 7. Acts xxviii. 22 Acts xxiii. 6.

them hailing the Apostles as their gods, and offering the homage paid to Jupiter; and the converted living and dying in the faith of the Gospel, we have the strongest evidence that Jesus rose from the dead. The Jews, recollect, many of whom remained bitter enemies to the cross, were in the midst of these Gentiles, endeavouring, as much as possible, to draw off their attention, and increase their prejudices; so that, if the weight of evidence had not amounted to certainty, the doctrine of the resurrection would never have been received.

The whole Roman empire rises up in attestation. That received the doctrine, and banished, for its sake, an entire system of idolatries. With one voice, it stands before us, proclaiming-Jesus Christ rose from the dead.'

And, indeed the Christian Church, from that day to this, is founded on this doctrine.Wherever Christ has been acknowledged, wherever the Gospel has been received, there has the seal been set to this cardinal truth.

We have, however, a testimony yet higher, the Holy Ghost. By a multitude of signs and wonders, by inspiration, by changing the hearts of men, by causing the Gospel to go on triumphant, even until the hour when it is making the tour of the globe, it declared, in language incontrovertible, Jesus Christ has risen from the dead.