calculation concerning him. Notwithstanding he frequently told them of his death and resurrection, Peter said, "Far be it from thee, Lord: This shall not be unto thee." Being so disappointed, as honest men, the disciples would never have engaged again in his service, had there not been a renewed manifestation of divine power. None of their former prejudices in his favor would be likely to stimulate them to a renewed devotedness to him, whose power proved weakness, and whose wisdom failed in the sight of all men. These prejudices would rather serve to sink him the lower in their esteem; for they would think he was not equal to the confidence they once had in him. As honest men, there is hardly a shadow of evidence remains to believe, they could again engage in his cause, under such circumstances, without the artful insinuations of others, should we grant they possessed an enthusiastic spirit when they followed him. If Jesus arose not from the dead, he could not have stimulated them to bear record of his resurrection by the fire of a heated imagination, after they gave up all for lost; for he was not with them. The Jews could not have done this, had they been disposed, unless they had continued faithful with them. There would then be a multitude of chances against, where there would be one in favor of their success in renewing a zeal that was once destroyed in the same cause, under the then existing circumstances. But

admitting it possible, which we do not, who, among the Jews or Gentiles, would support such enthusiastic folly, as to make them believe Jesus arose from the dead when he did not? The Jews well knew that such a trick would do more to build, than all they had done to destroy him.

We are able to vindicate the reasonable and candid conduct of the apostles, as we trust, from the reason and salutary effects of their doctrine, and the propriety of their walk in life. Enthusiasm always runs to some excess or other, in the habits of human life. We shall therefore, be able in some good degree to determine from the doctrine and lives of the apostles whether they were governed by cool reason or fiery enthusiasm. There is an instance of St. Paul's appeal to Agrippa that is worthy of notice, in the following language: "For the king knoweth of these things," speaking of the resurrection of Jesus, "before whom also I speak freely: for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a corner." Here St. Paul states to the king, that he must have been made acquainted with the account of Christ's resurrection, and urges it on a principle, that if true, must establish his character in the eyes of the king and all who heard him, but if false, must be one of the most barefaced impostures that ever was undertaken. These things not being done in a corner, was a very good reason for believing

the king had been made acquainted with the subject before. He appears, therefore, to handle his subject like a powerful orator and a reasonable man.

While the doctrine of christianitry allows no excessive indulgences, it is careful not to impose unnecessary burdens. This is a point that few would undertake to dispute, and to which we believe enthusiasm did never strictly adhere. While the enthusiasm of religious sects says, come to us, we only have the truth, the reason of real christianity says, "Prove all things, and hold fast that which is good." While enthusiasm requires the first born for the sin of the soul, reason asks, "What doth the Lord require, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" While enthusiasm judges who are saints and who are sinners, who are God's people and who are the world's, whom God loves and whom he hates, who will be forever saved and who eternally damned, the light of real christianity says, "Judge nothing before the time until the Lord come, who will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts." To expatiate largely upon this part of our subject, would much exceed the limits of this dis. course. The candid christian, who is acquainted with his Bible, needs not a labored disquisition to prove that it embraces a series of lessons of reason, temperance, moderation, and sobriety. In short, it may be

remarked, the tokens of enthusiasm are far from being seen in the doctrine and lives of the original witnesses of Christ's resurrection. The only method left us by which we can now suppose ourselves deceived in the resurrection of Jesus, is by accounting his disciples impostors. To this hypothesis we will now attend.

To attribute the character of impostors to the disciples of Christ, would make them greater villains than have ever come to our knowledge among the human family; because they must have exercised more art and worldly wisdom, than any other men. From his

tory it appears, they were illy qualified for such an artful undertaking. When the boldness of Peter and John was seen on a certain occasion, it was perceived they were ignorant and unlearned men. James and John were fishermen, a calling by no means calculated to qualify them for such masterly exploits. Most of the disciples are said to be Galileans. Of one of the cities of Galilee where our Lord abode, the proverbial question was asked, "Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth ?"

The Jews were aware that Jesus foretold of his resurrection within three days, and therefore used every precaution to prevent an imposition of this kind. They were sensible, that could a story like this be started, and the people generally be made to believe it, it would prove more to the damage of their tra

ditions, than any thing that had then taken place. Had the disciples reported his resurrection without removing the body, the Jews would have been able to detect the fraud by producing it, and thus prevent a further spread of the report. To suppose they stole him by night, would be accounting the art of a few disappointed and disheartened individuals, to frustrate the power and policy of a combination of the first characters of the Jewish nation, who were before sensible of what the disciples would do. It seems it would take vastly more evidence to induce a rational man to believe this, than to believe the resurrection of Jesus with its present testimony. For the disciples to steal the body without the soldiers' perceiving it, would be impossible. The soldiers would not receive a bribe as that would endanger their lives; and besides, the poverty of the disciples would disable them from succeeding in such an attempt. Truly the soldiers are said to receive money to report the disciples stole him while they slept, but it was with a promise from the high priests to be secured. This account presents nothing irrational. It carries the evidence of probability from the circumstances that attended it.

The remarks which I made relative to the authenticity of the sacred histories of Christ by their evangelical authors, will equally apply to the candor and honesty of the authors themselves. As good fruit is the evident pro