did, in their future Conduct, discover, that they themselves were conscious the Story was false.

Behavi

in Chief

Priefts

9 Not long after our Saviour's Refur- And the rection, we read, that the Disciples, ha-Subfequent ving received new Power from above, our of the appeared publickly in Jerufalem, nay, the very Temple, and teftified the Re- and Rufurrection of Chrift, even before thofe, lers. that had murder'd him. But what did the Chief Priefs do upon this Occafion? They feize upon the Apoftles, they threaten them, they beat them, they fcourge them, and all to ftop their Mouths, infifting that they fhould fay no more of the Matter. But why did they not, when they had them in their Power, charge them directly with their notorious Cheat, in ftealing their Mafter's Body, and fo expofe them to the People, as Impoftors? This had been to their Purpose more, and had more effectually undeceiv'd the People, than all their Menaces and Ill-ufage; but not one Word of this is faid. They try to murder them, enter into Combinations to affaffinate them, prevail with Herod to put one of them to death, but not fo much as a Charge against them of any Fraud in the Refurrection.

Their Ora

tor Tertullus, who could not have miss'd

C c

The Trial of the Witnesses, p. 49. Acts xxiv.

fo

How

Chrift

rofe on

Day.

fo fine a Topick of Declamation (had there been but a Sufpicion to fupport it) is quite filent on this Head, and content to flourish on the common Place of Sedition and Herefy, profaning the Temple, and the like; mere Trifles to his Caufe, in comparison to the other Accufation, had there been any ground to make ufe of it. And yet, as it happens, we are fure the very Queftion of the Refurrection came under Debate; ffor Feftus tells Agrippa, that the Jews had certain Questions against Paul of one Jefus, which was dead, whom Paul affirm'd to be alive; after which, we are told that Agrippa heard Paul himself: but had he fufpected, much lefs had he been convinced, that there had been a Cheat in the Resurrection, he would hardly have faid to him, at the End of his Conference, Almost thou perfuadeft me to be a Chriftian..

t

Thus ftands the Cafe of our Lord's Refurrection and the Allegation against the third it in Point of Time is a mere Trifle, arifing from an Ignorance of the Jewish way of Computation. ▾ Our Saviour indeed, alluding to his own Refurrection, fays, Deftroy this Temple, meaning his own Body, and in three Days will I raise

it

·Acts xxv. p. 49.

As xxvi. 28.

The Ttia, &c.

it up: The Angels reprefent his Prediction thus, the Son of Man fhall be crucify'd, and the third Day rife again; elsewhere it is faid, after three Days; and again, that he was to be in the Bowels of the Earth three Days and three Nights: But all these Expreffions are equivalent, fince it is ufual in all Nations to reckon the Night into the Day, whenever they reckon by fo many Days. The Jews however have a way of Computation, in fome refpects different from us: They, as well as we, put frequently a part of the Day for the whole; but then, w whereas we reckon our Days (I mean our natural Days of twenty-four Hours) from twelve a-Clock at Night, to twelve the next Night, they reckon from one Sunfet to the next Sun-fet, and all the Time between them they call'd a Day ; even as Mofes did, when he fays, "the Evening and the Morning were the first Day. Now, allowing this manner of Computation, and reckoning that the first Day began on Thursday at Sun-fet, and ended upon Friday at Sun-fet fince our Saviour died on Friday about three in the Afternoon, by putting a part for the whole, here we have one Day. Saturday is allowed on all Hands to be another Day: and fince the third

Cc 2 Day Dr. Pearce's Vind. Part 1. p. 12. Gen. i, 5.

Day began on Saturday at Sun-fet, and our Saviour rofe on the Morning following; that part of the Day being likewife put for the whole, is fairly computed for the third Day: and thus we have the Prediction accomplished. But whatever Difficulty may be fupposed in computing the time from the Crucifixion to the Refurrection, fince the Refurrection happened during the time, that the Guards had the Sepulchre in keeping, 'tis the fame thing, whether our Saviour chofe to arise in the Beginning, the Middle, or the Conclufion of the Day; only it is a little more prefumeable, that, after he had continued in the Grave, long enough to convince the People of the Certainty of his Death, beyond all Poffibility of Recovery by natural Means, he should take the firft Occafion, confiftent with his own Predictions, of returning from the Grave, in order to comfort and refresh the defponding Minds of his Difciples.

X

But

Ne turbatos Difcipulorum animos longa Mœftitudo cruciaret, denunciatam Tridui moram tam mirâ celeritate breviavit, ut, dum ad integrum fecundúm diem pars primi noviffima, & pars tertii prima concurrit, & aliquantum temporis fpacio decideret, & nihil dierum numero deperiret. Leo de Refur. Dom. Ser. 1. apud Pearfon in Artic. v.

did not

appear to

who de

him.

But though our Lord might have this Why he tender Regard to his Disciples, yet the unbelieving Jews, (efpecially the Chief the Jews, Priefts and Rulers) were, of all Men, ferv'd no the most unworthy of fuch a particular fuch FaVouchfafement. They had already de. vourfrom fpifed the Evidence that was given them; and not only fo, but maliciously imputed the plaineft Miracles, that ever were wrought, to the Power and Operation of the Devil. Him, who was the worker of them, they had vilified and blafphemed, rejected all his kind Offers, and enter'd into Measures to take away his Life: And therefore, in juft Indignation, he denounces their Woes, and takes his folemn leave of them, O Jerufalem, Ferufalem! thou that killeft the Prophets, and ftoneft them, that are fent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy Children together, even as an Hen gathereth her Chickens under her Wings, and ye would not! behold your Houfe is left unto you defolate, for, I fay unto you, ye shall not fee me henceforth till ye fball fay, blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord!

But waving this Objection, and fup- Which pofing, for the prefent, that our Saviour would had appear'd publickly to the Jewish havebeen loft upon Rulers; yet, fince neither the Darkness them. at his Death, nor the Earthquake at his

Cc 3

Refur