LECTURE XXIV.

MATTHEW xxviii.

THE

HE last Lecture ended with the history of our Lord's refurrection. The evangelift then proceeds to give a concife account of what paffed after that great event had taken place.

"Then, fays he, the eleven difciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain, where Jefus had appointed them."

By the eleven difciples he means the apoftles, who, though originally twelve, were now reduced to eleven, by the defection and death of Judas. Thefe Jefus had commanded to meet him in Galilee. "Go, tell my brethren, fays he to the women, that they go into Galilee, and there fhall they fee me." There therefore the apoftles went about eight days after the refurrection, and many others with them; for this probably was the time and the place when he fhewed himself to about five hundred brethren at once. "And when they faw him they worshipped him; but fome doubted." Here we have the authority of the apoftles themselves for the worship of Chrift. The women, when they first faw Jefus, paid him the fame adoration; "they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him." But fome, it is added, doubted. And where can be the wonder, if among five hundred perfons there fhould be two or three, who, like the disciples mentioned by St. Luke‡, believed not for joy, and wondered; that is (as is very natural) were afraid to believe what they fo ardently wifhed to be true; or who, like St. Thomas, would not believe, unless they touched the body of Jefus, and thrust their hands into his fides.

* Matth. xxviii. 16 + Matth. xxviii. 9. + Ch. xxiv. 41.

But their doubts, like his, were probably foon removed. This circumftance therefore only ferves to fhew the scrupulous fidelity of the facred hiftorians, who, like honeft men, fairly tell you every thing that paffed on this and on fimilar occafions, whether it appears to make for them or against them.

"And Jefus came and fpake unto them, faying, all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth."

In his divine nature he had this power from all eternity; but it was now to be exercised in his human nature also, which, from a ftate of humiliation, from the form of a fervant, was foon to be exalted to the highest dignity, and placed at the right hand of God. Accordingly St. Paul informs us, that, "God raised our Lord from the dead, and fet him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but in that which is to come: and put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all*." And again, in his Epistle to the Philippians, he fays, that "God has highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name; that at the name of Jefus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue fhould confefs that Jefus Chrift is Lord, to the glory of God the Fathert." In the fame magnificent language he is fpoken of in the book of Revelations; "Worthy is the Lamb that was flain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and bleffing. And again, Bleffing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto him that fitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, for ever and ever‡.”

Such is the dignity of the Lord and Master whom we ferve; and fuch is that authority with which, in the two concluding verfes of this chapter, he gives his laft command to his apoftles: "Go ye, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the

Ephes. i 20-23. † Philip. i 9-11. Rev. v, 12, 13.

Son, and of the Holy Ghoft; teaching them to observe all things whatever I have commanded you; and lo! I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” -

The ceremony then by which our Lord's difciples were i to be admitted into his religion, was baptifm. This was fometimes used by the Jews on the admiffion of profelytės, and by the heathens on initiation into their mysteries. But the baptifm of Chaftians was to be accompanied with a peculiar form of words, which distinguished it from every other. They were to be baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoft. This form of: words has accordingly been used in the Chriftian church, from the earliest times down to the prefent; and is, as you all know, the mode of baptifm adopted and constantly practifed by the Church of England. And it is remarkable, not only on this account, but as being alfo one principal ground of a very diftinguifhed doctrine of the Gofpel, and of the Church of England, the doctrine of the Trinity. For the plain and natural interpretation of the words is, that by being baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoft, we are dedicated) and confecrated equally to the service of each of thofe three divine perfons; we are made the fervants and disciples of each, and are confequently bound to honor, wor-. fhip, and obey each of them equally. This evidently implies an equality in their nature, and "that all the fulness of the Godhead dwells in each." In confirmation : of this, we find in various parts of Scripture, that all the attributes of divinity are ascribed to each. And yet, as the unity of the Supreme Being is every where taught in the fame Scriptures, and is a fundamental article of our religion, we are naturally led to conclude with our church. in its first article, "That there is but one living and true God, of infinite power and wisdom, the maker and preferver of all things, visible and invisible; and that, in the unity of this Godhead, there are three perfons, of one fubftance, power, and eternity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoft."

That this is a very mysterious doctrine we do not deny; but it is not more fo than many other doctrines of the

Christian revelation, which we all admit, ` and which we cannot reject without fubverting the foundation, and des stroying the very fubftance and effence of our religion. The miraculous birth and incarnation of our blessed Lord, his union of the human nature with the divine, his redemption of mankind, and his expiation of their fins by his death upon the crofs; these are doctrines plainly taught in Scripture, and yet as incomprehenfible to our finite understandings as the doctrine of three perfons and one God. But what we contend for in all thefe inftances is, that these mysteries, although confeffedly above our reason, are not contrary to it. This is as plain and a well-known distinction, and in the present cafe an incontrovertible one. No one for inftance can fay, that the fuppofition of three perfons and one God is contrary to reason. We cannot, indeed, comprehend such a distinction in the divine nature; but unless we knew perfectly what that nature is, it is impoffible for us to say that fuch a diftinction may not fubfift in it confiftent with its unity. The truth is, on a fub'ject where we have no clear ideas at all, our reafoning faculties must fail us, and we must be content to fubmit (as well we may) to the clear and explicit declarations of holy writ. It is indeed natural for the human mind to with that every thing in religion fhould be intelligible and plain, and that there should be no difficulties to perplex and stagger our faith. But natural as this wish may be, is it a reasonable one? Do we find, that in the most important concerns of the prefent life, in thofe where our moft effential interefts, our property, our welfare, our health, our reputation, our very life are at ftake, that no difficulties, no perplexities, no intricacies occur; that every thing is plain and level before us, and that we are never at a lofs how to act, what opinion to form, or what course to take? There are few, I fancy, here present, whose experience has not taught them, to their coft, the very reverfe of all this. If then, even in the ordinary affairs of life, there is fo much difficulty, doubt, and obfcurity, how can we wonder to find it in religion also, in thofe enquiries that relate to an invifible world and an invifible Being," to the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity*?""

"So far is it from being true (as fome one has faid) that where myftery begins religion ends; that religion, even natural religion,

And let it never be forgotten that mysteries are not (as is often infinuated, and often taken for granted) peculiar to the Christian religion. They belong to all religions, even to that which is generally fuppofed to be of all others the leaft incumbered with difficulties, pure deism; or, as it is fometimes called, the religion of nature, of reason, or of philofophy.

Who, for instance, can grafp with the utmost stretch of his understanding, the idea of an eternal Being; of a Being whofe exiftence never had any beginning, and never will have an end? Where is the man, whofe thoughts are not loft and confounded in contemplating the immenfity of a God, who is intimately prefent to every part of the univerfe; who fees, with equal clearness, a kingdom perish and a sparrow fall, and to whom every thought of our hearts is perfectly well known*? Who can reconcile that foreknowledge of future and contingent events, which is an unquestionable attribute of the Almighty, with that free-will and free agency, which are no lefs unquestionable properties of man? Who, in fine, can account, on the

begins with a mystery, with the grateft of all mysteries, the selfexistence and eternity of God. Let any one tell us how an eternity can be paft, unless it was once prefent, and how that can be once prefent which never had a beginning." Seed's Sermons, v. 2. S. 7. 459.

"J'apperçois Dieu partout dans fes œuvres. Je le fens en moi, je le vois tout autour de moi; mais fitôt que je veux le contempler en lui même, fitot que je veux chercher où il eft, ce qu'il eft, quelle est sa fubftance, il m'echappe, & mon efprit troublé n' apperçoit plus rien. Rouffeau, v. 8. p. 32. Enfin plus je m' efforce de contempler fon effence infinie, moins je la conçois; mais elle eft, cela me fuffit; moins je la conçois plus je l'adore."

I have cited these fine paffages from the eloquent Rouffeau in his own language (for no tranflation can do juftice to them) because no arguments are fo convincing as thofe which are drawn from the conceffions of fceptics themselves, which fall from them incidentally and undefignedly; and because the sentiments here quoted stand in direct contradiction to that writer's cavils in other places against the Chriftian myfteries. For if notwithstanding the difficulties which attend the contemplation of the Deity himself, he firmly believes his existence, on what ground can he make his Savoiard vicar doubt the truth of the Gospel on account of its mysteriest?

† V. viii. p. 93.