I. The Reality; which depends on two Things; that he was really dead, and that he was really alive af terwards. As for the former: the whole of the Hiftory fhews it fully, nor did any of his Oppofers ever call it in Queftion. His Crucifixion was public, at Noon-day, before a great Multitude. The Jews who procured it, the Romans who executed it, would both take Care that it was done effectually. And the piercing of his Side with a Spear, which, by the Blood and Water that followed, plainly appeared to reach his Heart; as it must have produced fome Signs of Life, had there been any remaining, muft alfo have deftroyed, in a few Moments, all that could remain. Then, after this, we find him treated as dead, both by Friends and Enemies; Pilate, after a particular Inquiry into that very Matter, granting his Body to be buried; one of his Difciples embalming him with Spices, another laying him in his own Sepulchre; the Jews making no Objection; but fully fatisfied of his Death, and only careful to guard against any Pretence of a Refurrection. But that, notwithstanding, he was afterwards really alive again, which is the other Point, we have Multiplicity of Evidence of the strongest Kinds. The Sepulchre was newly hewn out of a Rock, fhut up with a very large Stone rolled to the Mouth of it, and guarded Night and Day by a Band of Soldiers; who were to watch till the Time was over, within which he had faid he fhould rife. Yet, on that very Day, the Sepulchre was found open, and the Body was gone. Now by what Means could this come to país? To his Difciples it could be of no poffible Ufe, to carry on a Deceit, by getting his Corpfe into their Poffeffion. For if they had fucceeded fo ill with their Mafter at their Head, what could they expect by carrying on the fame Scheme after they had loft him, but to come to the fame End? And what in all Reafon had they to do, but get quietly out of the Way, at leaft till the Matter was a little forgotten? D 2 gotten? Indeed we find in Fact, that far from being enterprifing, they were fo difheartened, even when he was first seized, that they all forfook him: and there was little Likelihood, that they should have more Courage to attempt any Thing, juft after he was executed. Ŏr if they had, what Manner of Chance was there, that when a Band of fixty Men, ufed to military Difcipline, were fet to watch the Grave, they fhould either find them all afleep at once, though it was Death to be fo, and not wake one of them; or be able to convey the Body away from them, though they were awake? Evidently they must have failed, and probably have been seized, in the Attempt. Or could they have carried their Point; yet, by the Refiftance made to them, it must have appeared, how unfairly they had carried it: and all Hope of getting a Refurrection believed must have been utterly at an End. Since then the Body was not found, and could not, by any human Means, or indeed for any rational Purpofe, have been carried away; it must have been raised by the Power of God, as the Gofpels relate it was. But to give a full and fenfible Demonftration of it, he fhewed himself alive to his Difciples, after his Paffion, by many infallible Proofs, being feen of them forty Days*. Now in this they could no more be mistaken, than you can in feeing and hearing me, and knowing me to be alive at this Time. As they had almost despaired of his rifing again, they were but too backward to believe it: and indeed they would believe it on no other Testimony, than that of their own Eyes and Ears; and Thomas even not without touching him, and putting his Hands on the Marks of his Wounds: which the reft, as well as he, when they were terrified, and fuppofed they had feen a Spirit, and not their Lord, were invited to do. Behold my Hands and my Feet, that it is I myself: handle me and fee for a Spirit hath not Flesh and Bones, as ye fee me have b • Acts i. 3. Luke xxiv. 37, 39. They They could not, after fuch Trials, be deceived in fo plain a Matter. And if it be imagined, that they might intend to deceive others; confider: They began their Teftimony to his Refurrection, at the very Time, and in the very Place, where they affirmed this Fact to have happened: Their Adverfaries had all the Power of the Place in their Hands; and all the Advantages, that Men could wish, for detecting the Fraud, if it was one; and they were in the ftrongeft Manner interested and concerned to make Ufe of them. Is it poffible now, that Men fo timorous, as the Disciples plainly were just before, fhould, immediately after, venture, without Need, to bring the juft Refentment of both Magiftrates and People upon themselves, by asserting fo ftrange an Event, if it was not true? Yet they did affert it: and far from being difproved in it, thousands at once, notwithstanding the most powerful worldly Motives, and the deepestrooted Prejudices, to the contrary, were convinced by them. And thus they went on, through many Years, to the End of their Days, all of them fuffering patiently and joyfully, for the Sake of this Teftimony, every Thing that could be terrible in Life, and at Length Death itself: nor is it pretended, that any one of them either retracted at any Time what he had faid, or behaved in any Refpect fo as to weaken the Credit of it. On the contrary, they were uncommonly pious and virtuous, as well as bold and unwearied: and, to complete the Strength of their Evidence, they not only taught, illiterate as they were, a Doctrine more worthy of God, than the wifeft of Men had known before, profeffing to have received it from their Mafter's Mouth; but they confirmed the Whole by vaft Numbers of Miracles, which he enabled them, and they enabled their Followers, to perform, both during that Age and the next. This is briefly the Proof of our Saviour's Refurrection. And if this be fufficient Proof, then it is no Objection, that more than fufficient was not given: for Inftance, that he did not appear to the Rulers and whole People. They had no Way deserved it. He was no Way bound D 3 to it. Nor doth God, in any Cafe, give Men just such Evidence, as they pleafe; but fuch as he knows to be enough for honeft Minds: and if others will not believe without more, they muft take the Confequences. Chrift appeared to the twelve Apoftles often: to 500 Perfons at once befides. If this Number be thought too small, when was ever the tenth Part of it required in any other. Matter? And if Chrift was to appear to all the Jews, why not to all the Gentiles? Why not to all us at this Day? We have no Proof, that any one, who defired it, was refused seeing him. Poffibly many, certainly St. Paul, were converted by feeing him. Some perhaps Nothing would have convinced: others would not have. owned their Conviction. This would have made strange Confufion. And had the whole Nation been convinced, their Notions of the Meffiah's temporal Kingdom would probably have thrown them at the fame Time into a Rebellion against the Romans; or however, the Sufpicions of the Romans would have driven them into one: and then the Gospel would have been thought a mere political Artifice, to ferve a favourite Purpose. Nay, had they continued quiet, and the Ro mans let them alone; even then we fhould have loft that Evidence for the Truth of our Religion, which arifes from the Perfecutions, undergone by the first Teachers of it: from the very advantageous Circumftances, that the Jews our Adverfaries have been the Keepers of those Prophecies, which prove Chrift to be come; and alfo from their wonderful Difperfion and Prefervation: befides the Proof which will arife, in God's good Time, from their Converfion to Chriftianity. II. Thus much for the Reality of Chrift's Refurrection. The Circumstances of it, which was the fecond Head propofed, it is best that you should read in the New Teftament, where they are told at large. And if the Accounts, which the feveral Evangelifts give, fhould feem not easy to be reconciled in fome Particulars; you will recollect, that nothing is more common in all Histo rians, rians, than for one to omit what another relates; to tell but Part of what another tells more fully; to join close together in Writing, what happened at fome Distance of Time in Fact; and to neglect a trifling Exactness in Points, that are not material. And the Spirit of God, which directed the Gofpel Hiftorians, might with great Wisdom permit them to do thus: it being a strong Proof to every confiderate Mind, that they did not contrive together what Story they should tell; but that each related, fairly and artlessly, what he faw and heard at the Time, and recollected afterwards, concerning this great Fact: of which the more abfolutely certain they were in general, the lefs they would think of being accurate in every little Part; and of drawing up a methodical, and minute, and fcrupuloufly ftrict Narration of the Whole that had paffed. But there is one Circumftance, which requires to be. confidered more diftinctly; that of the Time. The al most constant Expreffion of Scripture concerning this is the fame with that of the Creed, that he rofe again the third Day: reckoning the Day of his Death for the first; the Day, which he continued dead, for the fecond; the Day of his Refurrection, for the third. And this is the common Way of computing every where. Thus the Jews computed the eighth Day, on which their Children were to be circumcifed. Thus alfo the Physicians call that a Tertian, or third Day Ague, in which there is but one Day wholly free from it. And thus Men reckon in all Cafes. Sometimes the Expreffion in Scripture is, that he should rife after three Days: meaning, not after the third Day was ended, but after it was begun. Juft as when Rehoboam had faid unto the People, Come again unto me after three Days; it follows, So all the People came to Rehoboam on the third Day, as the King bade, faying, Come again to me on the third Day. And in one fingle Place of the New Teftament, it is faid, the Son of Man fhould be in the Heart of the Earth с 2 Chron. x. 5, 12. See Whitby on Mark viii. 31. three |