and fatisfactory Evidence convince them that the Caufe they were to defend, which required them to abandon the Religion of their Country, and to oppofe all the Religions in the World, and by fo doing to make all the World their Enemies, which was accompanied with the known Lofs of all that is dear in Life, and with the constant Peril of Death;---could any Thing embark them in an Attempt of this kind but the cleareft, the plaineft Evidence that the Cause they were defending was the Caufe of God, and, when they had undergone all this Indignity and cruel Ufage in the prefent World, that there was a certain and abundant Recompence awaiting them in that which is to come? This would furely keep their Attention awake, lead them to be fufpicious of évery Thing, and to make the exactéft Scrutiny into the Refurrection of their Master, which was to be the grand Demonftration of his being the Meffiah, and the deciding Proof of his heavenly Miffion.

But with much lefs Sufpicion of Impofture, than the Dread of Mifery would inspire, the Circumftances of our Saviour's Appearance to them were of fuch a Nature, as made it impoffible for them to be mistaken. They faw him plainly alive after his Paffion. They faw him not once only, but often, not a few of them when feparated from the reft, but all of them when affembled together, when each of them had feverally an Opportunity of making his own Remarks, of noting and examining every Circumftance, of converfing together afterwards upon the Miracle, and comparing the Result of their several Obfervations. When he appeared, it was in broad Day-Light, and in the Sight of the Sun. gave them Time to recollect themselves, to recover from the first Shock of an Event, that might hurry their Thoughts, and raise any Disorder of Mind. Befides, he not only fubmitted to be seen and heard, but even handled by them. Reach hither, faid he to one of them, and all of them

He

heard the

Challenge,

Challenge, and beheld the Experiment, reach hither thy Finger and behold my Hands, and

reach bither thy Hand and thrust it into my Side, and be not faithless but believing. Now in a Matter thus plain, and obvious to Senfe, in judging of which neither Acuteness of Genius, nor Sharpness. of Wit, nor Depth of Learning were neceffary, Nothing but a found Understanding and a faithful Memory, Nothing but good Eyes and good Ears; after fuch fair Appeals to the Reafon and Senfes of the Apostles, after fuch free and full and repeated Examination as this, if the Apostles were themselves deceived, if they believed that they heard with their Ears, and faw with their Eyes, and looked upon, and handled with their Hands of the Word of Life, as Saint John expreffes it, (1. John i. 1.) and were nevertheless miftaken; then there is furely Nothing but Delufion in Life. We cannot know our Parents, we cannot know our Friends, or rents.

Children again, if the Apoftles could be deceived in the Perfon of their bleffed Lord and Master.---But

2---As

N

2---As to fuppofe the Apostles deceived is in the laft degree ridiculous and abfurd; fo have we the strongeft Reafon to believe, that they were bonest enough to report faithfully whatthey faw, and abhorred the very Thought of deceiving others. For Men to carry on an Imposture, that may terminate in their Advantage, is no more than may be expected from the Degeneracy and Corruption of human Nature. A Profpect of Wealth and Honour, or strong Appetites of Pleasure too frequently tempt Men into Defigns, that cool Reason will not juftify. But what was the Cafe of the Apostles? They had indeed not only no Inducement,---no Temptatation to deceive ;----but every Motive, every Interest, every Comfort, and every Hope of this Life and the next confpired to make them speak the Truth. Men are not wicked for Nothing. † Will any one in his right Wits fet himself to propagate a Falfhood, from which he can have no poffible Advantage either

+ Nemo gratis malus.

real

ត

real or fuppofed, and which on the contrary in every View of it's probable Confequences muft end in his Deftruction? Now this the Apoftles did, if you fuppofe that they in tended to deceive the World into the Belief of a Falfhood, this Cheat they carried on at the Expence of their Quiet, to the certain Ruin of their Fortunes, to the manifest Destruction of their Fame and Characters, and perfifted in the Fraud even to Death. And is this credible---does it carry the leaft Shadow of a Likelihood with it? No: This is Pitch of Folly of which human Nature is not capable. In the Cafe of the Apostles it is plain, as an able Writer observes, that "Nothing but a confcious Senfe of Truth, "with the Hope of a future Reward from "the God of Truth, could poffibly fup"port" them in preaching their Master's Refurrection" under the Lofs of all Things, "and under the actual Suffering of all the "Evils of Life. A good Man may give up "his Intereft for the fake of Truth: A bad

↑ "Dr. Adams's. Effay on Miracles, P. 36, 37,

"Man