8. They could not poffibly have any fecular view, by preaching fuch a doctrine to the world: Nay, in preaching it, they acted against all the rules of worldly interest and policy, and could have no prospect from the world, but what was frightful and difcouraging; their doctrine being to the Jews a ftumbling block, and to the Greeks foolifhnefs. They could not propose to themselves either to gain reputation and esteem, or to advance their fortunes in the world; nay, fuffering the greatest hardships was all they had in view.

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9. Confider how fevere the laws were which they published againft lying, forgery, and a falfe teftimony: And if they themfelves were guilty of it, they were condemned to everlafting punifhments for doing what. they did, by the very doctrine which they preached. Yet in this doctrine they perfifted to the laft, and if it were a lie, they went out of the world with a horrible. lie in their mouths, which is horrid to think; for fo they could have no hope of finding mercy and forgivenefs at God's hands; and thus you would make them the most depraved wretches in the world.

10. Now, had they been men who had no religious awe or sense of God themselves, how is it credible that they would have been so very zealous and industrious to imprefs it upon the minds of others, and to prefs them to love and fear him, as the fcope of all their writings and fermons do fhew? How oft do they tell us of a judgment day, and of God his being the fearcher of the thoughts and counfels of the heart.

11. It is plain to a demonstration, that these perfons heartily believed the doctrines they preached to the world otherways, how would they have expofed themfelves to fuch dangers and fufferings upon that score?

12. The Jews who lived at that time were infallibly convinced of the refurrection of Jefus Chrift: Which appears from this, that the writers of the gospel-history did in exprefs terms publish to the world, that the Jews bribed the foldiers to report that the body of Jefus Chrift was ftolen out of the grave by his difciples. Now, this was a home charge on the Jews, and thews them to be the moft degenerate wretches, that they

would

would stick at nothing to carry on their defigns, even the most abominable piece of forgery and bribery. Nay, their priests and rulers would be guilty of this villany, to tamper with foldiers in this manner. Well, if these chief priests and fathers of Ifrael had been unjustly calumniated in this manner, it might have been expected that they would have exerted themselves in fome extraordinary manner to clear themselves of this afperfion, and that the whole nation would have been in a tumult about it: For they would fee that their religion, as well as their credit, was at the stake; this account of their proceedings was like to be published through the world, and tranfmitted to the lateft pofterity. Now, furely one would think the Chriftians would have been folemnly called to account for this provoking piece of history, and challenged to make it good, and that with the greateft zeal and concern. Well, but there is nothing like this; the Jews content themselves with private whispers, to fet the ftory about, which the bribed foldiers had reported, and make no refentment of the charge, From all which we may warrantably conclude, that they were confcious to themselves of the truth of, the charge, and knew that they had bribed the foldiers to make the report; and confequently that they knew Chrift was rifen, otherways they had not bribed the foldiers.

13. Although the dilciples of Chrift had been fo wicked as to have contrived the ftealing away the body of Jefus, it was impossible for them to have accomplished it. The Jews were extraordinary intent and watchful about this event; for they came to Pilate, and told him, that Jefus had foretold, while alive, that he would rife again the third day; and it was proper that a guard fhould be fet upon the fepulchre till that day was over, left his difciples fhould come and steal him away, and fay, that he was risen, and so the latter error would be worse than the first. They were fufficiently aware of the confequences of this event, that it would overturn their religion, and establish Chriftianity, and therefore they take all neceffary precautions, and this was ordered by God's wife providence for ascertaining the truth of the

event.

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14. The

14. The coined ftory of carrying off the body of Jefus, while the guard flept, is fo very grofs, that it will fcarce bear a telling. For if the difciples did this while the foldiers flept, how could the trick be known? Did the difciples tell it themselves, or were the guard confcious of what paffed in their fleep? Were not their fenfes locked up during their fleep?

15. If the difciples had been concerned in fo vile a piece of impofture, with what courage or confidence could they have entered on their miniftery, and preached falvation in Chrift's name? Could they have ever hoped for any countenance from heaven, or for affiftance from the Spirit to work miracles, while they were propagating a notorious cheat. They might have expected that both heaven and earth would be engaged against them in every step of their undertaking, and fo would have dropped their defign of propagating the Chriftian faith. But being perfectly affured of the truth of Christ's refurrection, and of all they preached, they undertook and went through their work with that indefatigable zeal and industry, with that life and fpirit far tranfcending all that ever was known in human nature before, that no ftorms nor difficulties, dangers nor deaths could in the Jeast shake them; yea, were animated the more by the greatest of trials and perfecutions.

For confirming the truth of the witneffes teftimony concerning our Lord's refurrection, confider the horrid and intolerable abfurdities that would follow on queftioning or denying the truth of it.

1. A deift, who denies it, muft believe that à defpicable company of wilful impoftors and deceivers, men of a hated nation and religion, without power or force, without learning or experience, without wit or po licy, fhould be able to run down all wit, learning, power and policy of the world; and by preaching a moit defpifed, incredible, and feemingly ridiculous doctrine, directly contrary to all the worldly interefts and humours of men, and to their religions and cuftoms, yea, and to their reafon and philofophy too, fhould propagate the belief of it far and wide through the earth, fo that there was fcarce a nation in the whole compass of the

globe

globe, but what in whole or in part received this fiction, as the most facred truth of God, and accordingly laid the whole stress of their falvation upon it! Or if deifts will fuppofe that the apoftles and their companions were a company of brain-fick enthufiafts, or of lunatics and madmen then they muft own that fuch pitiful weak perfons did argue with fo much art and force, as to overpower all the learning and wifdom of the world: That all the fages, philofophers, and ftatefmen, who embraced Christianity in great numbers, as well as the poor and illiterate, were convinced and perfuaded by mere enthuɓafm; that they mistook downright raving for the ftrongest reason, and a chain of incoherent falfities for bright and evident demonftrations of truth!

2. The deifts must believe that twelve poor fishermen were not only able to compass that vait design of making the world stoop to the laws they impofed: but also that they laid their plots fo deep, that the effects of it thould be permanent and lasting, and no fucceeding age or generation ever be able to fathom it, and fhew where the cheat lay. Strange! that a company of illiterate men outdid the profoundest wisdom and fagacity of mankind, and concerted matters fo artfully, that none of all the penetrating wits of the world thould, for fo many centuries, after the ftricteft examination, find it poffible to discover the least failure or flaw in the contrivance.

3. They must believe that thefe perfons abfolutely divested themselves of all regard to their own prefervation or happiness; that they defpifed all the comforts and enjoyments of life, and ventured upon poverty and mifery, upon torments, upon death, yea, upon damnation itself in the next world, and all for nothing, but the propagating of a cheat, which is moft abfurd to fuppofe.

4. They muft believe that these very perfons, who but a few hours before had fo little fpirit and courage left them, that they forfook their master in his extremity, and durft not own themselves his difciples, nor fhew themselves openly for fear of the Jews, fhould all of a fudden grow fo refolute, as to venture on that bold and hazardous undertaking, of forcing the fepulchre, and

carrying

carrying off his body; and that they effectuated the defign without being challenged by one of the guard.

5. They must believe that these timorous men would, in an enterprise that required fo much expedition and difpatch, fpend fo much of their time in divesting a dead body of its burial-clothes, and wrap them up by themfelves; and not rather chufe to carry off all together in hafte, left the next minute the guard might awake, and come upon them.

6. They must believe that a fet of the greatest cheats that ever the world faw, did, notwithstanding, furnish mankind with the most exact fyftem of morality that ever was, and lay the best foundations and scheme for the peace and happiness of the world, that could be laid! That the vileft hypocrites would spend all their time and lives too in indefatigable labours to make other men upright and fincere, and denounce damnation against lying, diffimulation, &c. That the fyftem they compiled of religion was a standing comment of their own fhame; and that all their fermons and writings were but fo many fatires and lampoons upon themselves.

Object. Christ's refurrection is attested only by his own friends and difciples. Why did he not converfe as publicly with men as he did before? Why did he not appear to the chief priests and elders of the Jews, to have convinced them of the truth of this fact?

Anf. . We are not to prescribe rules to the Divine Majelly; all his works are done in infinite wisdom, and he is not obliged to account to us for his actings; he himfelf knows beft what makes moft for his own glory and the happiness of his creatures.

2. It was not to a few that Chrift appeared, but to the twelve appostles, to the feventy difciples; yea, to five hundred brethren at once, to whom he gave the moft convincing proofs of his refurrection.

3. It was a fufficient demonftration to the Jews of Chrift's refurrection, Pilate's fecuring the fepulchre with a guard of foldiers, and Chrift's body not being found therein. They might have been affured that a handful of timorous men would never adventure on stealing it: and they had a fufficient confirmation from the foldiers,