Jerufalem, and probably to Peter alfo, he appointed a time and place when he would meet them all, at a fufficient distance from the time of his speaking. Confequently, if any doubts remained on the minds of any of them, they had time to consider what fatisfaction they required, and might, of course, be prepared to get that fatisfaction, which it is evident he never refufed them, even offering himself to be handled, and examined by them at their leisure, and eating and drinking along with them. Indeed, the marks of crucifixion on his hands and feet, and the wound in his fide, were abundantly fufficient to identify his perfon. What is recorded concerning Thomas was probably the cafe of many others; nor did his incredulity exceed that of the reft, though he expreffed it in a stronger manner; and the fatisfaction that Jefus gave to Thomas, he was, no doubt, as ready to give to any others of them.

3. The appearances were fufficiently frequent, viz. four times on the day of refurrection, first to Mary Magdalene, then to Peter, then to the two difciples walking to

X 4

Emmaus,

Emmaus, then to the Ten in the abfence of Thomas, and afterwards to all the Eleven. In Galilee he first appeared unexpectedly to Peter, John, and a few others, and then to more than five hundred at once. This

must have been the great meeting by appointment, though particularly mentioned by Paul only. Another time he appeared to James, called his brother, or near relation, then to all the difciples (who were more than an hundred refiding at Jerufalem, when he went with them to the mount of Olives, and at leifure afcended above the clouds in their fight. Though thefe are all the appearances that are particularly recorded, there were probably many more, for no one writer has mentioned all thefe, not even Paul, who feems to have intended to recite all that he could recollect at that time. None of thefe appearances, I would alfo obferve, were at midnight, when perfons, fuddenly awaking from fleep, have not the perfect ufe of their fenfes and judgment; but in the day; not at a distance, but quite near; and not tranfient, but of a fufficient length of time.

Surely,

Surely, then, we are authorized to say that, as far as numbers were requifite to give evidence concerning any particular event, thefe were quite fufficient. For if the evidence of five hundred would not remove the doubts of any perfons, neither would that of five thoufand, or of any number whatever. They were alfo perfons who had every character of unexceptionable witneffes, as they cannot be fuppofed to have been deceived themfelves, or to have had any motive to wish to impofe upon others; because they had no intereft in doing it.

4. The appearances were continued to a fufficient period, viz. the space of forty days, which was certainly time enough for any perfons to recollect themfelves, to get over any impreffion of furprife, and to be perfectly collected, fo as to be put upon their guard against any cause of deception, and to examine and fatisfy themselves at their full leifure.

Such is the direct evidence of the refurrection of Jefus, than which nothing can well be conceived to be ftronger, refting upon the testimony of a fufficient number

of

of the most competent witneffes, not prepoffeffed in favour of an expected event, and who yet had time to recover from the furprife occafioned by an unexpecled one. It was also a teftimony to which they all adhered through life, notwithstanding the greatest temptation that men could lie under to tell a different ftory.

I fhall now confider fome objections that have been made to this evidence.

1. It has been faid that Jefus ought to have continued longer in a state of death, as till the body had putrified, &c. fo that the revival of it might have been the more extraordinary. In this view, no doubt, the evidence of a proper refurrection might have been made more striking. But then, though the evidence would have gained ftrength in one way, it would, by this very means, have loft much more in another. Not to say that a resurrection from any state of unquestionable death, is as much a proof of a real miracle, as from any other ftate. That is, it required nothing less than divine power, which is undoubtedly equal to the raifing a man from death at any pe

a

riod, as well as the making of

of new men.

any number

But had the refurrection of Jefus been at any confiderable distance of time, the evidence of his death, and confequently that of a miracle in his refurrection, had not been fo clear. For then it might have been faid that, in fo long time, he might have recovered from the effect of a feeming death; that his difciples had time to recover from their confternation, and lay their schemes for any particular purpose; that, in fo long an interval, the guard of the fepulchre might have been more negligently kept, the feal on the ftone might have been broken by fome accident, and Jefus, being alive, might have been conveyed away, and time given for his appearance, as raised from the dead.

But confidering that Jefus was taken down from the crofs, to all appearance at least dead, and left in the state of a corpse, fwathed in fpices, late on Friday evening, and then left alone, in a cold fepulchre, it was abfolutely impoffible, whatever life may be fuppofed to have remained in him,

that