nessed their occurrence. We must also recollect, the evidence of the apostles was given at the VERY TIME in which the great event took place, and in the VERY CITY in which the Lord was crucified. While the cross was still stained with the blood of Christ, his heralds openly proclaimed his resurrection. If it was an imposition,-WHY did not the Romans detect and expose the fraud? WHY did they not brand its inventors with infamy as the most unprincipled of miscreants! WHY did not the Jews, as one body, stand up to vindicate their nation from the foulest blot that was ever cast upon any people? WHY did they not shew the world, that Christ had not risen from the dead to prove his own innocence, and the consequent impiety of his persecutors. When Saint Paul addressed Agrippa upon this subject, he avowed its publicity, and fearlessly said to that monarch, "The king KNOWETH of these things, before whom also I speak freely: for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him; FOR THIS THING WAS NOT DONE IN A CORNER." If then, the residents of Jerusalem at the very time in which the resurrection of Christ took place, and was openly asserted by his apostles; if neither Jews nor Gentiles contradicted the fact, and carefully recorded the whole story as a daring falsehood, we have the most complete proof of its veracity. Permit us also to ask WHAT MOTIVE could induce those persons to FABRICATE and DEFEND an untruth of such a nature? On this point we may adopt the expressive language of a powerful reasoner, and a most eloquent divine: he says, "Survey the face of the world, examine all the impostures that are practised in society. Falsehood, imposition, treachery, perjury, abound in society. To every different trade and profession some peculiar deceptions belong. However, all mankind have one design in deceiving-they all deceive for their own interest. Their interests are infinitely diversified: but it is interest that always animates all deceivers. There is one interest of pride, another of pleasure, a third of profit. In the case before us the nature of things is subverted, and all our notions of the human heart are contradicted. "It must be pre-supposed, that, whereas other men generally sacrifice the interest of their salvation to their temporal interest; the apostles, on the contrary, sacrificed their temporal interest without any inducement from the interest of salvation itself. Suppose, they had been craftily led, during the life of Jesus Christ, into the expectation of some temporal advantages, how came it to pass, that, after they had seen their hopes blasted, and themselves threatened with the most rigorous punishments, they did not redeem their lives by confessing the imposture? In general, the more wicked a traitor is, the more he trembles, alters, and confesses, at the approach of death. Having betrayed, for his own interest, the laws of his country, the interests of his country, the confidence of his prince, and the credit of religion, he betrays the companions of his imposture, the accomplices of his crimes. Here, on the contrary, the apostles persist in their testimony till death, and sign the truths which they have published with the last drops of their blood. They persevered in an asseveration which exposed them to the highest indignities, and to the cruellest persecution; to the loss of fame, of property, of liberty and life, when a denial or recantation, might have secured to them the most liberal rewards, and the most honourable distinctions which the favour of princes and statesmen could bestow. In every circumstance, therefore, for the numbers, the information, and the veracity of the witnesses, no testimony could surpass in its degree of credibility, that which was borne by the apostles to the fact of our Lord's resurrection." The positive evidence of Christ's rising from the dead, is clear, concise, and substantial; and, however envenomed the Jews and Heathens were against those who propagated the doctrines of the cross, they did not presume to deny the principal fact by which that doctrine was supported, and spread so rapidly over the face of the earth. Mr. Haldane observes, "The philosophers, who wrote avowedly against the Christian religion, had recourse to the Gospel themselves, which they allowed to be authentic, for confuting the opinions they contain. And not the smallest vestige in antiquity of any contradictory statement, either public or private, is to be found." And the excellent Saurin inquires, How was it, that Celsus, Porphyry, Zosimus, Julian the apostate, and Hierocles, the greatest antagonists, that Christianity ever had, and whose writings are in our hands, never denied the facts: but, allowing the principle, turned all the points of their argument against the consequences that Christians inferred from them." Hence that species of infidelity which rejects the resurrection of the Son of God as a fable, is a sort of modern speculation upon the subject, and the sceptic of antiquity stands confronted against our present unbelievers, to support the very facts, which the latter must confess, if once admitted, the whole of the Bible is immediately confirmed as the infallible word of divine inspiration. The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ were the grand subjects of ancient prophecies. Having, therefore, obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come; that Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead.' The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ constitute the substance of all the Jewish rites and offerings. For the law had but the shadow of things to come.' Therefore, when the proper victim had been sacrificed and resuscitated, the whole apparatus of Judaism was rendered useless, the temple destroyed, and the worshippers were scattered to the four winds, from whence they have never yet returned as a body to the land of their fathers. The descendants of Israel are at this moment so many standing proofs of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ; because, in the death of our Lord, they filled up the measure of their iniquity, according to prior predictions concerning them:-and in his return to life, he executed the threatened vengeance of heaven upon their whole nation. The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ were the cause of the amazing success of the Apostles in preaching the Gospel. St. Paul said to the Corinthians, If Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.' Upon this fact, all the efficacy, truth, and purity of the Sacred Volume, must be supported; and they stand upon a basis, as sure as the throne of Deity which can never fail. 'Why should it be thought a thing incredible, that God should raise the dead? Does not the seed die in the earth, and pass through corruption to newness of life? Does not the sun go down to rise again? Does not man sleep that he may awake with fresh energies, as one that has risen from a sort of emblematical decease? Does not the aurelia proceed from a state of apparent putrefaction to a most beautiful insect, which takes its flight towards heaven, and ceases to creep upon the ground like a mere reptile? Is not the spring a complete resurrection from the death of winter? The word, and all the facts, of holy writ, have their analogy in the world, to shew the DIVINITY of their origin, and that GOD HIMSELF is the great author of them all. 'Read nature! Nature is a friend to truth; The resurrection of Jesus Christ establishes the authenticity of the Holy Scriptures, and encircles the whole of revelation with ineffable glory. It is an indisputable fact, and followed by the most serious consequences;-consequences infinitely tremendous to the mind of the sceptic, or profane person, and unspeakably delightful to the hearts of the righteous. It shews not the possibility merely of a general resurrection; but its absolute certainty. As the late Mr. Jones, of Nayland observes, "The resurrection of Jesus Christ is a fact: our resurrection is a doctrine. Admit fact, and the doctrine cannot be denied.' According to the determination of the God of heaven, man shall be called from his sleeping dust, and stand in the presence of his Judge, to hear the sentence passed upon him, which the Lord himself shall pronounce. The living atoms, with peculiar care, Drawn from their cells, come flying thro' the air, Or ting'd the sapphire with its lovely blue; " Behold, I shew you a mystery. We shall not all sleep; but we shall all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump; for the trumpet shall sound; and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.' Judgment then commences, sinners tremble, and the righteous are exalted. 'And I saw a great white throne; and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. ' And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God: and the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged, every man, according to their works: and death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.' |