they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. It cannot therefore be imagined, but that men, who had once entertained these suspicions, would take all possible care and precaution not to be finally imposed on. To this purpose they had all imaginable opportunities allowed them; their Master condescended with the greatest goodness to appeal to all their senses; Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. But while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, rather than gave a calm dispassionate assent, at once to give them time to recollect themselves, and to shew the most undoubted signs of real life, he called for meat, and did eat before them. This conversation with them seems entirely to have removed all their scruples; only one of their number, being absent from the assembly, was still unbelieving. But his unbelief turned at last to the more confirmation of the faith, as he soon received such evidence and conviction as he was no longer able to resist. After this, we hear no more of their suspicions; they as little questioned the truth of his resurrection, as of any action of his life before he suffered; and had the same infallible proofs of his being then alive, as that he ever was alive at all. In short, their doubts were so entirely vanished, that their old hopes of temporal dominion began again to revive; and they seem to have expected, that he would immediately restore again the kingdom to Israels. In the height of these hopes they were again disconcerted by his ascension. The angel e Luke xxiv. 39.

d Luke xxiv. 37.

f Luke xxiv. 43.

s Acts i. 6.

mildly reproves their surprise and astonishment upon this occasion; but as the nature of Christ's kingdom was one of the things which they were not yet able to bear, he adapts his discourse to their prepossessions, and tells them, that this same Jesus, which was taken up into heaven, should so come in like manner as they had seen him go into heaven 1. It is plain this discourse would leave them in full hopes of seeing him again; and perhaps they expected to see him shortly return with legions of angels, in order to assert his right to the throne of his father David. Lest they should be too forward in any attempts or reports of this kind, he himself had commanded them to tarry at Jerusalem in expectation of the promise he had made them, which they would doubtless interpret agreeably to their own preconceived opinions. Here therefore they continued in great suspense for the event, till the day of Pentecost was fully come, and then all was cleared up to them by the descent of the Holy Ghost.

Here now arises a distinct kind of evidence, in which it was not possible for them to be deceived. Their Master's promise of sending the Spirit of truth, who should guide them into all truth, was now effectually made good; in consequence whereof they immediately found and felt themselves very different men from what they were before. Their notions and their views were altered and exalted, and their minds supernaturally supplied with all that courage and conduct, that resolution and wisdom, which were necessary to plant a new religion. To this it must be added, that they found themselves

h Acts i. 11.

i John xvi. 7.13.

enabled to speak all languages, and to work all miracles, even that of raising the dead. How then could they avoid being certain of their Lord's resurrection, when they were conscious to themselves of this witness, and of these effects of it? They had as it were an internal sensation, and intimate consciousness of it; and over and above that sensible evidence, (the certainty and sufficiency of which was never doubted, but by the wildest enthusiasts, or the most extravagant sceptics,) they had an intimate knowledge and feeling of this fact, and were assured that their Master was risen, by what was transacted in their own minds. Upon the whole then, the apostles could not be deceived as to the point of Christ's resurrection; they had better evidence for the reality of it than of any external object in nature, and were equally certain of it as of their own existence.

It may now therefore be justly suspected, that we shall be called upon to alter the state of the question, and to consider the apostles, not as persons who were themselves deceived, but as men who designed to deceive the world. But they who offer suggestions of this nature ought to tell us distinctly, what ends the apostles proposed to serve by this imposture, and what inducements could prevail with them to persist in it, in opposition to all the discouragements which they met with. Sensible persons are not apt to engage in affairs of moment without any views or designs at all; much less against all the motives in the world, against reason and interest, against honour and conscience, against their happiness here and hereafter. It will appear at first sight, that the love of fame, or an ambition to distinguish themselves as the founders of a new religion, will

not sufficiently account for their conduct, or be able to support the stress which has sometimes been laid upon it. It does not often happen, that men of their low education and figure either invent or entertain such ambitious projects. They are here sup posed to be mere impostors, and to know that their Master himself was so too; they could therefore expect no assistance from him, or from heaven; and how then could they be sanguine, or rather absurd enough, to dream of success? But be this difficulty also got over, what methods did they actually take in order to succeed? Did they strike in with the prevailing notions of the people? or did they not rather proclaim a Messiah of a character quite contrary to what had been their own, and what continued to be the expectation of the Jews? Have they made any discoveries in the writings which they have left behind them, that they were actuated by such passions, and influenced by such motives, as they are here charged with? On the contrary, they have left tokens behind them in every place of a very different spirit. They relate their own defects and failings with the greatest simplicity; but otherwise they preach not themselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and therefore must necessarily foresee, that whatever success they met with, they would only be looked upon as a sort of under-workmen, whilst the honour of being the author of this new religion would redound solely to him, whom they knew to be a dead impostor. That a number of men should persist in such a foolish project as this, and that there should not be one false brother amongst them, who could be prevailed on either by rewards or punishments to betray the whole con

trivance, is a point too hard for the faith of a Christian, and can only suit the credulity of an unbeliever.

It is by no means worth our while to examine what other causes the wisdom of infidelity may be pleased to assign, in order to account for the apostles' conduct. I would only ask, whether it be possible for any men in any case to give sufficient proofs of their sincerity? And if it be, I will venture to assert further, that greater proofs of sincerity never were, never will, never can be given by men in any circumstances, than what were given by the witnesses of Christ's resurrection. They left all that they had in this world, which, be it more or less, was accompanied with ease and innocence, to prosecute a scheme, which exposed them to infinite sufferings, and, on the present supposition, involved them in the most horrible guilt. They every day found by sad experience, that if in this life only they had hope in Christ, they were of all men most miserable; and it is plain, that if they knew themselves to be false witnesses of his resurrection, they could have no hope with reference to another. They had been educated in the Jewish religion, from which they could not but have learnt; that God would severely punish all forgery and false witness, especially in matters of religion. They could therefore expect nothing in the other world from the hands of a God of truth, but his severest vengeance. And if it shall be suggested, that they believed nothing either of the Jewish religion, or the life of the world to come, (not to take notice here how improbable it is that