XXXVI.

And he faid, Nay, father Abraham; but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he faid unto them, If they hear not Mofes and the prophets, neither will they be perfuaded though one rofe from the dead.-Luke, xvi. 30, 31.

THIS

HIS paffage puts the following objection into the mouth of the free-thinker.

"If a perfon's rifing from the dead, fays he, is not a mode of evidence fuited to perfuade, why should Jefus offer his own refurrection from the dead, as the last and best proof of his divine commiffion? On his own authority we fee it is of little weight; and yet his disciples are continually urging it as the strongest evidence, that could be produced."

If the objector will be at the pains of confidering the fact, he will find, that his statement of it is not quite exact; and that there is no disagree ment between what our Saviour fays, and what his apostles urged.

VOL. I.

The

The parable reprefents an infidel calling for a refurrection from the dead, as the strongest evidence to convince another infidel. Abraham

does not in the least infinuate, that a refurrection from the dead was not the strongest evidence: indeed his argument plainly leads us to believe, he thought it was the ftrongest evidence. What he fays therefore amounts only to this—that if the infidel, who was a Jew, would not give a fair hearing to Mofes, and the prophets, no evidence, however ftrong, could have weight with him. When the heart is hardened and confirmed in infidelity, it will fhuffle off, and avoid the force of any evidence, that can be given. The strongest would be thrown

away.

Now this was in fact the very cafe of the unbelieving Jews at that time, to whom the parable was addreffed. They rejected our Saviour as the Mefliah, and afcribed his miracles to the devil; though they faw them plainly wrought to counteract the works of the devil. Nay, many of them, who had been prefent at the refurrection of Lazarus, had even the evidence here required of a man raised from the dead; and yet they ftill continued impenitent. And afterwards the more awful circumstances of the refurrection of Jesus

himself, had no better effect upon them. So that it is plain a refurrection from the dead, however convincing a proof in itself, is not fufficient to convince those, whofe hearts are hardened by infidelity. It seems alfo as if it had been one defign of our Saviour in this parable to point out the future hardened infidelity of the Jews with regard to the very event of his own resurrection.

"But ftill, replies the objector, it appears. from the parable, that Jesus thought the evidence, of Mofes, and the prophets fufficient, without adding the farther evidence of a man raised from the dead. And though we may allow the evidence of a man raised from the dead to be the strongest evidence that can be given, yet still if it was more than was neceffary, it seems more than Providence ordinarily allows. So that at any rate there feems to have been no occafion for the re furrection of Jefus."

To this we reply, that if we confider the diffe rent pretenfions of Judaism, and christianity, there was occafion for it. The faith of the Jews was confined to Mofes, and the prophets; for which they had fufficient evidence of various kinds. They did not therefore require the additional evidence of a man raised from the dead.

But the gospel carries our faith into higher regi ons. It not only brings immortality to light; it farther teaches, that our very bodies shall not lie in the grave; but fhall hereafter take a spiritua lized form, and be united to our fouls. As thefe articles of faith therefore were new, fome new evidence feemed requifite to enforce them. And what could be fo proper as for the author and finisher of this faith to prove it by his own refurrection from the dead?-In fact, it was a kind of evidence, which had more weight than any other, with honeft, unprejudiced minds, though the hardened heart was able to refift it.

FROM these premises then it follows, first, that our Saviour by no means defigned to speak lightly, in the parable before us, of the evidence of a man raised from the dead; fecondly, that fuch evi dence was well-fuited to the chriftian, though unneceffary to the jew-and laftly, that it was a mode of evidence well calculated to give the firmest support to the christian faith,

XXXVII.

Awake, thou that flecpeft, and arife from the dead, and Chrift fhall give thee light.-Ephe fians, v. 14.

THE

HE apostle St. Paul having been warning his Ephefian converts against falling again into the impurities of their heathen neighbours, breaks out into this noble apoftrophe, which is the. application indeed of a paffage of Ifaiah to the times of Chrift *.

The words may be applied to thofe, who sleep in life; and to thofe, who fleep in the grave.

To the fleepers of this world Religion calls; Awake thou, who art immerfed in the pleasures, and business of life, Thou art afleep. Thou art in a dream. Awake. Recollect where all this tends. Wouldest thou spend thy whole life in a dream? Arife. Set about the great work before thee. Rife from the dead-from the death of this world-The world is thy diftemper-seek relief fly to Chrift; and he will give thee light,

* ISAIAH, Ix. 1,