pathized with the expiring Redeemer, and heaven withdrew its light. Jesus suffered on the day in which the passover is eaten. This feast is kept on the fourteenth day of the month; and according to the Jewish mode of reckoning from the first appearance of the moon after her change, it fell on the very day in which she was at the full. An eclipse of the sun can only take place when the moon is between it and the earth; or in other words, at what we call a new moon: but at the full, the moon is in the side of the heavens opposite to the sun, and we are between the two bodies: there could be therefore no natural eclipse of the sun at the time of the crucifixion. Another evidence, that it was a supernatural eclipse, level to every understanding, is, that in common eclipses the sun's total darkness can continue but twelve or fifteen minutes at most; but this awful darkness lasted no less than three hours! How far the darkness extended cannot now be easily decided: the following evidence, we think, proves that it was very general:-Phlegon, the famous astronomer under the emperor Trajan, said, that "in the fourth year of the 202 Olympiad," which was that of the death of Christ, "there was such a total eclipse of the sun at noon-day, that the stars were plainly visible."*-Suidas also says, that Dionysius the Areopagite, who was then at Heliopolis in Egypt, upon this surprising phenomenon exclaimed, "Either the Author of Nature is suffering, or he sympathizes with some one who does-or the frame of the world is dissolving!" Josephus bears witness to the rending the veil of the temple; and to this day, in the church of the Sepulchre, which stands on Mount * See note 7, of this Lecture, at the end of the volume. Calvary, is to be seen a cleft in the rock said to be occasioned by the earthquake: which cannot certainly be proved but it is evident, that the chasm is natural, and not the effect of art; and that the rock was rent by some violent commotions of the earth. After the decease of our Lord, Joseph of Arimathea went to Pilate, and petitioned for the body, which was granted to him. This rich man deposited it in his own "new tomb, in which never man was laid." Of course, should a resurrection take place, it must be that of Jesus; it could be of no other person. The chief priests, alarmed possibly at the awful convulsions which accompanied his death, requested and obtained permission of Pilate to set a watch over the tomb. They shrouded their own fears under a pretended concern lest the people should be deceived. We have accompanied the Savior to the tomb, we have seen it sealed, we have left a Roman guard at the mouth of the sepulchre; and let the chief priests produce the body on, or after, the third day in order to silence the clamors of the deluded multitude. This, howeyer, is not done. The plenitude of their malice was not equal to the war which they attempted to wage against the high decrees of Heaven. The Evangelists assert that on the third day Jesus arose: and they tell a regular, plain, unvarnished tale. Let us now examine the principles on which the reşurrection of Jesus is opposed. The body was not in the sepulchre on the third day. Let the guards give an account of the loss of it-they and they alone are answerable for it. Only one account was ever attempted to be palmed upon the world "His disciples came, and stole him while we slept." Now observe, 1. The guards appointed over the sepulchre were Roman guards; since it will appear by the sequel of this history that they were subject to Pilate, and under his control; which would not have been the case had they been Jews, but they would have been answerable to the rulers of that nation. Now, it was death for a Roman soldier to sleep upon his watch: therefore had they been really overpowered with slumber, they would rather have feigned a miracle, when the minds of their employers were so well prepared to receive it, to save themselves from the punishment legally due to their crime, than have openly avowed it, had not higher powers said, "We will secure you." We have more instances than one upon record of jailors suffering death for the loss of their prisoners. 2. If the guards were really asleep, how came they to be so positive as to the persons who stole the body? On what principle could they affirm that the disciples were the depredators? I suppose that this is the first and the last instance in which men ever attempted to give evidence on a transaction which took place when they were confessedly asleep: or were ever called upon for such a purpose. 3. Why were not the disciples immediately apprehended and made to restore the body? It was indisputably the duty of the chief priests to produce it after the third day publicly in a state of death, and thus for ever to silence the pretensions of a deceiver. Did the enemies of Jesus lack either power or influence, to rescue a dead body from twelve unarmed, poor, defenceless men, had they seriously entertained even a suspicion that his disciples had stolen him? Did not the matter die away as soon as possible? Was there even any inquiry made into the affair? Did not the disciples boldly, and openly, preach the resurrection of Jesus, in defiance of the threatenings of the Jews? 4. Is it probable that the timid, unbelieving disciples of Jesus Christ should have the rashness to attack a band of Roman soldiers; or to venture into the sepulchre, even had they slumbered? We feel that we have reason to complain of the want of candor in infidelity in urging its objections against christianity. Fair and open ground is relinquished for finesse and quibbling. The disciples are sometimes portrayed mean and timid men, to expose them to contempt: but when it serves the purpose of skepticism, they are represented, wise, prudent, designing, courageous, enterprising; and more is ascribed to them than human power ever yet performed. Now they cannot have too opposite characters; and we hold infidelity to the gospel history, and to its own concessions, that they were plain, uninformed, timid, unbelieving men. Were these characters to attack a legion of Roman soldiers successfully? 5. Could this immense stone have been rolled away, and the body removed, without noise and confusion sufficient to break their slumbers? Surely, they must have been dead, and not asleep! 6. Would the disciples, had they stolen the body, have remained to lay the linen clothes in order-as they were found? Is it probable that amid the confusion which such a circumstance supposes, that they would either have had leisure, or inclination, or even presence of mind, for such an arrangement? 7. Have we not proved that heathen writers, and even enemies, admitted the fact of our Savior's miracles, although they ascribed them to a false cause? Are there not in the gospels four successive instances of his raising the dead, uncontroverted? And is his own resurrection more wonderful than these? or than that of the sleeping saints at his death? Upon the whole, then, the resurrection of Jesus never was opposed at the time by an objection that demanded a moments serious consideration: while the evidences in favor of it, are numerous, respectable, and decisive. "For I delivered unto you, first of all that which I also received: how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: and that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve. After that he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once: of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all, he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time." These witnesses were numerous and respectable; and they afterwards proved their sincerity by laying down their lives for their testimony. Forty days he shewed himself alive, by "many infallible proofs:" at the expiration of which he ascended to glory. The disciples were eye-witnesses of this also. Their sincerity they shewed in their sufferings, and it was not a point in which they could be deceived. In things which fall under the eye, the clown is as good a witness as the philosopher; and in plain matter of fact, the illiterate are as capable of judging as the learned. The consequences of his ASCENSION were seen in the pouring out of the Holy Spirit upon them, in a public manner, on a public occasion: and the power then conferred of working miracles, was a standing evidence of the truth of what they preached for nearly a century. This event sufficiently accounts. for the subsequent wisdom and courage of the natur |