RESURRECTION. 



to which their Matter constantly referred them for the 

 marks and characters of the Mt fliah, which be affirmed to 

 be found in himfelf ; they were left again to themfelves, that 

 they might confider and examine at leifure the feveral proofs 

 oft! kion, which they had heard and feen, and par- 



ticularly thofe arifing from the accomplifhment of thepre- 

 diftions contained in the holy fcriptures. Accordingly he 

 bore vifiting them for eight days, after which he con- 

 d< fc nded to lubmit himfelf to a farther examination, in 

 r to remove the unreafonable fcruples of St. Thomas, 

 one of the apoftles. After tins there feems to have been 

 no fcruple left in the minds of any of the apollles, to whom, 

 however, Chrift was i t i 1 1 pleafed to continue his vifits ; 

 " being feen of them," as St. Luke teftifies (Ads, i. 3.) 

 " forty days after his paffion, and fpeaking of the things 

 ; to I le kingdom of God." 



It is observable, that all the appearances of Chrift al- 

 readv mentioned, feem to have been intended only for the 

 conviction of his apoftles ; and thofe that follow, which were 

 probably much more numerous than the evangelical hiftory 

 records, rather for their confirmation and tn/iruBion in the 

 faith and doctrines of the gofpel. The facred writers have 

 been very particular in their accounts of the former, whilft 

 they have mentioned but very few of the latter ; and the 

 in of their different proceeding is very obvious. The 



is ivltneffet of the miracles, 

 and the fufferings, the death, and the refurreftion of Jefus 

 Chrift, and as teachers and preachers of his doftrine. In the 

 character of ivitnejes, a circumftantial account of the means 

 and opportunities they had oi knowing certainly the feveral 

 fafts attefted by them, mult neceffarily give great force and 

 credit to their evidence : whereas in that oi preachers, it is 

 fufficient if their auditors were fatistied, in general, that 

 the doctrines taught by them were derived from the instruc- 

 tions, and authorifed by the commillion given them by their 

 Mailer, " to teach all nations ;" and of this, the various 

 gifts of the Holy Spirit, poured out, not upon the apoftles 

 only, but by them upon all believers, were full and unquef- 

 tionable proofs. 



From a review of the method and order in which the fe- 

 veral proofs of the refurreftion were laid before the apoftles, 

 it is manifelt that Chrift required of them a reafonable and 

 well-grounded faith, and that he alfo purfued the molt proper 

 and effectual means for the attainment of that end. With 

 this view, inftcad of bearing down their reafon, and dazzling 

 their underltanding by a full manifestation of himfelf at 

 once, we fee him letting in the light upon them by little and 

 little, and preparing their minds by the gradual dawning of 

 truth, that they might be able to bear the full luftre of the 

 Sun of righteoufnefs rifing from the grave ; to confider and 

 nine, and know that it was he himfelf, and to allure the 

 world it was impollible they could be deceived. By referring 

 them to the fcriptures, and lubmitting himfelf to the fcru- 

 tiny and judgment of their fenfes, he not only waved all 

 authority, but required them in a ftrong and particular 

 manner to exercife their reafon in examining the evidence 

 brought before 1 them ; for which purpoic lie alio improved 

 their faculties by the infulion of his holy fpinl. Never, 

 fays Mr. Weft, was evidence more fairly ollered to con- 

 ration : never was inquiry put into a more rational me- 

 thod, as indeed there never were any facts that could better 

 abide the tell. 



Thefe fafts, of which the mailer oi the evidence of the 

 refurreftion confided, may be comprifed under three heads, 

 ti/ss. the appearances of the angels, the appearances of Chrift 

 to the women, and the appearances of Chrift to the difcipl 

 and apoftles. Our limits will only allow us briefly to recite 



them. Thofe of thejiijl clafs, at the fepulchre on the 

 morning of the refurreftion, are fuch as were obferved 

 by the Roman foldiers, who kept the fepulchre, by the other 

 Mary and Salome, by Mary Magdalene and by Joanna, and 

 her companions. Mr. Well has fatisfaftorily proved, by a 

 train of reafoning which we have not room to purfue, that 

 thefe appearances of the angels were neither the effects of 

 illufion, the phantoms of a diftempercd vifionary mind, nor 

 the operations of artifice and impolture. The fecond clafs 

 comprehends the appearances of Chrift, which were two ; 

 the iirlt to Mary Magdalene ; the fecond, to the otiiei 

 M iry and Salome. Some perfons have very abfurdlv inferred 

 from our Lord's prohibition to Mary, expreffed in thefe 

 words, " Touch me not, for I am not yet afcended to my 

 Father," that our Saviour was not clothed with a real or 

 rial body : whereas the evident meaning of the word* 

 is " detain me not, for I am not yet afcending to my 

 Father," and therefore thev imply, that fhe mould have 

 another opportunity, before his departure from the wor'd, of 

 exprefling her regard and maintaining intercourse with him. 

 The third clafs of appearances includes thofe of Chrift to 

 his difciples, for the 40 days after his paflion, which undoubt- 

 edly were numerous, though only few are recorded. An 

 objection has been founded on one of thefe appearances, in 

 recording which St. John fays, " that Jefus came (the doors 

 being ftiut) and Hood in the midll," againft the reality of 

 the body of Chrift ; but it is needlefs to reply to fo ground- 

 less a fuggeflion, as that the body of Chrift palled through 

 the folid door; when it is pofiible that he might enter, unper- 

 ceived by them, through an open door. 



The third time of our Saviour's appearance to any number 

 of his difciples together after his refurreftion was at the 

 fea of Tiberias, called alfo the fea of Galilee I John, xxi. 14.) ; 

 and fubfequcnt to this was his appearance on a mountain in 

 Galilee, mentioned by St. Matthew. One reafon that has 

 been afligned for his fhewing himfelf in Galilee, after his refur- 

 reftion, feems to have been, that, where lie was perionally 

 known to fo many people, having refided these above 30 

 years, he might have the greater number of competent wit- 

 neiles to his refurreftion. It is probable that the greateft 

 number of his appearances for the 40 days after his paflion 

 were in Galilee, where he would have a favourable opportu- 

 nity of difcourling to his difciples of " things pertaining to 

 tiie kingdom of God," ( Afts, i. 3.) ; ami of preparing his 

 apoftles efpecially for tellifying to the reality of his refur- 

 reftion, and for executing the commiflion with which the} 

 were eiilruftcd. \ lere they would be more fee u re, as v. 

 more retired, than at Jerulalem. 



It might be further urged that tin- refurreftion of Chrift 

 was a neceffary fulfilment of ancient pro] 

 the Mcfliah, and alio of our Lord's own . and 



that it was a no lels neceffary appendage to his office as a 

 teacher and faviour than his death. Without the refurreftion, 

 the great fcheme oi divine mercy forth.- 1 . [il , mankind 

 would have been incomplete,; by thai, ii d, and 



the triumph over death added to that over I'm ; the Mcfliah 

 thus accomplishing all that the fcriptui old of his 



glory and power. This event authenticates . id confirms 

 the pn exittence, and it indeed the. pledge 



and eanelt of immortality. 



But it I our Lord's 



refurreftion which have b not exhi- 



bited to all the Jews, (Afts.x. 41, l choice 



of a felet't number of difciples, and particularly <d tw 

 lulu, ■ ■ pi • il K , , t,, be v. itneffc (of th 



of his life, and efpi 1 and 



of his gofp . the world, is » well-known and indifput- 



able 



