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fense therefore of the prophecy is plainly this-that the Jews fhould continue in the form of a fociety, till the time of the Meffiah. Accordingly we find that, foon after Chrift's death, the fceptre did depart from Judah: the Jews loft all form of a political fociety; and are a fingular inftance of a people, fcattered over the whole earth, preferved to this day feparate from all other people, and yet without a fettlement any where.

Our Saviour's prophecy of the growth of his church, is likewife among the more remarkable predictions. He told his difciples, that his religion was like a grain of muftard-feed, which was the leaft of all feeds; but when it grew up, it fhould become a great tree, and the fowls of the air fhould lodge in the branches of it." He told them alfo, that "the gates of hell fhould never prevail against it."

The Jewish religion was continually enforced by the idea of a jealous God, watching over it, and threatening judgments from heaven upon every tranfgreffion. The divine authority was ftamped openly upon it. The people trembled, and worshipped.

When the impoftor Mahomet fet up for a reformer, he could not indeed enforce his religion by divine judgments; but he did it by temporal. He drew his fword, and held it to the breafts of his oppofers; while he promised to the obedient a full gratification of their paffions.

But in the chriftian religion, nothing of this kind appeared. No temporal judgments threatened on one hand: no fenfual indulgences allured on the other. A few defponding ignorant mechanics, the difciples of a perfon crucified as a common malefactor, were all the parade, with which this religion was ushered into the world; and all the human affiftance which it had to boast.—And yet this religion, which opposed the strongest prejudices, and was opposed by the greatest princes, made its way in a few years, from a remote corner, through the whole Roman empire. Thus was our Saviour's. prophecy, in oppofition to all human calculation, exactly fulfilled. The leaft of all feeds became a fpreading tree; and a church was eftablished, which could not be destroyed by all the powers of hell.

But although the church of Chrift could not be destroyed, it was corrupted; and

in a course of years fell from its genuine purity. This corrupt ftate of it-the delufions of popery-the efforts of refor mation, and various other circumstances relating to it, are not unreasonably fuppofed to be held forth, in the prophetic parts of the New Teftament.

which are not obvious enough to carry geBut I forbear to dwell upon prophecies, neral conviction; though many of them have been well explained by thofe*, who lude. Future times will, in all probability, are verfed in the hiftories to which they alreflect a ftronger light upon them. Some of the great prophecies, which we have juft confidered, fhone but with a feeble ray, during the times they were fulfilling, though they now ftrike us in fo forcible a Gilpin.

manner.

§ 155. The Creed continued-Conception and Birth of Chrift, &c.

dation we believe the second article of our We have now fhewn upon what founcreed; let us next confider the remaining articles-the history of Chrift, as delivered in fcripture, and the benefits which he proSpirit-the remiffion of our fins-and evercured for us-the affiftance of the Holy lafting life.

"conceived of the Holy Ghost, and born First, then, we believe that Chrift was of the virgin Mary." The manner of this miraculous conception we inquire not into. human inquiry; but to us at least a point It is a point not only beyond the limits of very unimportant. We believe juft the Scripture-account of it, and affure ourfelves, that if it had concerned us, it would have been more plainly revealed.-One thing, however, we may obferve on this head, that nothing is faid in Scripture of paying divine honours to the virgin Mary. Those rites are totally of popish origin.

fered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified,
We farther believe, that Chrift "fuf-
dead, and buried; and that he defcended
into hell,"
lief of the Scripture-account of the cir-
that is, we declare our be-
cumftances and the reality of Christ's
death.

firft, to establish its date. This is ufually
To make an action clear, it is neceffary,
who then prefided, the time of whofe go-
done by ranging it under the magiftrate
vernment is always registered in fome pub-

* See Bishop Newton's Differtations; and Bishop Hurd's fermons on prophecy.

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lic record. Thus we believe that Chrift's death happened when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea. We believe also, with regard to the manner of his death, that he was crucified; that he died as really as any mortal ever did; and that he was buried in the tomb of Jofeph of Arimathea".

The "defcent into hell" is undoubtedly a more obfcure expreflion than might be wifhed in a creed, and was not indeed added till many ages after the creed was firft compofed t. But as creeds are human compofitions, we believe this, and every other difficulty, only as confiftent with Scripture. Now the fenfe which feems moft agreeable to Scripture, is, that his foul remained till his refurrection in that place (whatever that place is) where the fpirits of the bleffed reft: and the expreffion feems to have been added, only that we may the more ftrongly exprefs our behief of the reality of his death. This we do, when we exprefs our belief of the feparation of his foul and body. "He was buried,”—and “defcended into hell." The first expreffion relates to his body, which was laid in the grave; the fecond to his foul, which paffed into the place of departed spirits.

We farther believe, that " on the third day he rofe again from the dead." The refurrection of Chrift from the dead is a point of the utmost importance to chrif tians. On the certainty of Chrift's refurrection depend all hopes of our own. On this article, therefore, we shall be more large.

And, in the first place, what is there in it that need fhock our reafon? It was a wonderful event: but is not nature full of wonderful events? When we feriously weigh the matter, is it lefs ftrange, that a grain of corn thrown into the ground fhould die, and rife again with new vegetation, than that a human body, in the fame circumftances, fhould affume new life? The commonnefs of the former makes it familiar to us, but not in any degree lefs unaccountable. Are we at all more acquainted with the manner in which grain germinates, than with the manner in which a body is raised from the dead? And is it not obviously ftriking, that the fame power which can effect the one, may effect the other allo?-But analogy, though

it tend to convince, is no proof. Let us proceed then to matter of fact.

That the body was dead, and fafely lodged in the tomb, and afterwards conveyed out of it, was agreed on, both by thofe who oppofed, and by thofe who favoured the refurrection. In the circumstances of the latter fact, they differ widely.

The difciples tell their ftory-a very plain and fimple one-that, fcarce expecting the event, notwithstanding their mafter had himself foretold it, they were furprised with an account that the body was gone that they found afterwards, to their great aftonishment, that their master was again alive-that they had been several times with him; and appealed for the truth of what they faid to great numbers, who, as well as themselves, had seen him after his refurrection.

The chief priests, on the other fide, declared the whole to be a forgery; afferting, that the plain matter of fact was, the difciples came by night, and ftole the body away, while the foldiers flept.

Such a tale, unfupported by evidence, would be listened to in no court of juftice. It has not even the air of probability. Can it be fuppofed, that the difciples, who had fled with terror when they might have refcued their master's life; would venture, in the face of an armed guard, to carry off his dead body?-Or is it more probable, that they found the whole guard asleep; when we know, that the vigilance of centinels is fecured by the ftricteft difcipline?

Befides, what advantage could arife from fuch an attempt? If they mifcarried, it was certain ruin, both to them and their caufe. If they fucceeded, it is difficult to fay what ufe they could make of their fuccefs. Unless they could have produced their dead body alive, the fecond error would be worse than the first. Their mafter's prophecy of his own refurrection was an unhappy circumftance; yet ftill it was wrapped in a veil of obfcurity. But if his difciples endeavoured to prove its completion, it was their bufinefs to look well to the event. A detection would be fuch a comment upon their mafter's text, as would never be forgotten.-When a caufe depends on falfehood, every body knows, the less it is moved the better.

Ifaiah foretold he fhould "make his grave with the rich." And St. Matthew tells us, that •Hias you paver, my Dev arfgwa whoo. Matt. xxvii. 57. Ifaiah liii. 9. Sce Bingham's Antiquities, vol. iii. c. 3.

This was the cafe of the other fide. Obfcurity there was wanted. If the chief priefts had any proof, why did they not produce it? Why were not the difciples taken up, and examined upon the fact? They never abfconded. Why were they not judicially tried? Why was not the trial made public? and why were not authentic memorials of the fraud handed down to pofterity; as authentic memorials were of the fact, recorded at the very time, and place, where it happened? Christianity never wanted enemies to propagate its difparagement.-But nothing of this kind was done. No proof was attempted-except indeed the teftimony of men afleep. The difciples were never queftioned upon the fact; and the chief priests refted fatisfied with fpeading an inconfiftent rumour among the people, impreffed merely by their own authority.

Whatever records of heathen origin remain, evince the truth of the refurrection. One is very remarkable. Pontius Pilate fent the emperor Tiberius a relation of the death and refurrection of Chrift; which were recorded at Rome, as ufual, among other provincial matters. This intelligence made fo great an impreffion, it feems, upon the emperor, that he referred it to the fenate, whether Jefus Chrift of Judea fhould not be taken into the number of the Roman gods?-Our belief of this fact is chiefly founded upon the teftimony of Juftin Martyr, and Tertullian, two learned heathens, in the age fucceeding Chrift, who became chriftians from this very evidence, among others, in favour of christianity. In their apologies, ftill extant, one of which was made to the fenate of Rome, the other to a Roman governor, they both appeal to thefe records of Pontius Pilate, as then generally known; which we cannot conceive fuch able apologifts would have done, if no fuch records had ever existed †.

Having feen what was of old objected to the refurrection of Chrift, it may be

proper alfo to see the objections of modern disbelievers.

And, firft, we have the ftale objection, that nothing is more common among the propagators of every new religion, than to delude their ignorant profelytes with idle ftories. What a variety of inconfiftent tales did the votaries of heathenifm believe! What abfurdities are adopted into the Mahometan creed! To what ftrange facts do the vulgar papifts give credit! And can we fuppofe better of the refurrection of Chrift, than that it was one of thofe pious frauds, intended merely to impofe upon the people, and advance the credit of the new fect?

This is just as eafily faid, as that his difciples ftole him away, while the guard flept. Both are affertions without proof.

Others have objected Chrift's partial difcovery of himself, after his refurrection. If he had boldly fhewn himself to the chief pries; or publickly to all the people; we might have had a more rational foundation for our belief. But as he had only for his witnesses, upon this occafion, a few of his chofen companions, the thing has certainly a more fecret appearance than might be wifhed.

This infinuation is founded upon a paffage in the acts of the apoftles, in which it is faid, that "God fhewed him openly, not to all the people, but unto witnesses chofen before of God." The question is, what is meant by witneffes chofen before of God? Certainly nothing more than perfons exprefsly, and by particular defignation, intended to be the witneffes of this event. Others might fee him if they pleafed; but these were not the people, to whom God fhewed him openly: this particular defignation was confined to the "chofen witneffes."-And is there any thing more in this, than we fee daily in all legal proceedings? Does not every body with to have the fact, about which he is concerned, authenticated by indubitable records; or by living teftimony, if it can

* Juft. Mart. Apol. ad Anton. P.-Tertull. Apol, cap. 15, + The acts of Pilate, as they are called, are often treated with contempt; for no reafon, that I know. I never met with any thing against them of more authority than a fneer. Probable they certainly were; and a bare probability, when nothing oppofes it, has its weight. But here the probability is ftrengthened by no fmall degree of pofitive evidence; which, if the reader wishes to fee collected in one point of view, I refer hem to the article of "Chrift's fuffering under Pontius Pilate in Bishop Pearfon's expofition of the Creed,

Among other authorities, that of the learned commentator on Eufebius, is worth remarking: Fuere genuina Pilati acta; ad que provocabant primi chriftiani, tanquam ad certiffima fidei mo

Bumenta."

be had? Do we not procure the hands of witneffes, appointed to this purpofe, in all our deeds and writings?-Let us not, however, anfwer the objection by an arbitrary explanation of the text; but let us compare this explanation with the matter of fact.

On the morning of the refurrection, the apoftles, who ran to the fepulchre to make themfelves acquainted with what they had heard, received a meffage from their mafter, injoining them to meet him in Galilee. It does not appear, that this meffage was conveyed with any fecrecy: it is rather probable it was not; and that the difciples told it to as many as they met. The women, it is exprefsly faid, told it to the eleven, and all the reft." Who the reft were, does not appear: but it is plain, from the fequel, that the thing was generally known; and that as many as chofe either to fatisfy their faith, or gratify their curiofity, repaired for that purpofe to Galilec. And thus we find St. Peter making a distinction between the voluntary and the chofen witnefs-between thofe "who had companied with the apoftles all the time that the Lord Jefus went in and out among them, from his baptifm till his afcenfion, and those who "were ordained to be the witneffes of his refurrection*."

St Paul goes farther, and in exprefs words tells us, that Christ was feent "after his refurrection of above five hundred brethren at once:" and it is probable, from the expreffion," at once," that he was feen, at different times, by many more.

If then Chrift thus appeared in Galilee to as many as chofe to fee him; or even if he appeared only to five hundred people, of whom St. Paul tells us the greateft part were ftill alive, when he wrote this epiftle, there can furely be no reasonable caufe of offence at his appearing, befides thefe, to a few of his chofen companions, who attended by exprefs appointment, as perfons defigned to record the event.

In fact, if the fame method be purfued in this inquiry, which is ufual in all others, the evidence of thefe chofen companions is all that is neceffary. Here are twelve men produced (in general three or four men are thought fufficient) on whofe evidence the fact depends. Are they competent witnefies? Have they thofe marks about them, which characterise men of in

* A&ts i. 25.

tegrity? Can they be challenged on any one ground of rational exception? If not, their evidence is as ftrictly legal, as full, and as fatisfactory, as any reafonable man can require. But in this great caufe, we fee the evidence is carried ftill farther. Here are five hundred perfons waiting without, ready to add their teftimony, if any one should require it, to what has already been more than legally proved. So that the argument even addreffes itself to that abfurd diftinction, which we often find in the cavils of infidelity, between rem certam, and rem certiffimam.

Upon the whole, then, we may affirm boldly, that this great event of the refur rection of Chrift is founded upon evidence equal to the importance of it. If we expect ftill more, our antwer is upon record: "If ye believe not Mofes and the prophets," God's ordinary means of falvation, "neither will ye be perfuaded, though one rofe from the dead."-There must be bounds in all human evidence; and he who will believe nothing, unlefs he have every poffible mode of proof, must be an infidel in almoft every tranfaction of life. With fuch perfons there is no reafoning. They who are not fatisfied, because Chrift did not appear in open parade at Jerufalem; would farther have asked, if he had appeared in the manner they expected, why did he not appear to every nation upon earth? Or, perhaps, why he did not fhew himself to every individual ?

To thefe objections may be added a fcruple, taken from a paffage of Scripture, in which it is faid that "Chrift fhould lie three days and three nights in the heart of the earth :" whereas, in fact, he only lay two nights, one whole day, and a part of two others.

But no figure in fpeech is more common than that of putting a part for the whole. In the Hebrew language perhaps this licence is more admiffible, than in any other. A day and a night complete one whole day and as our Saviour lay in the ground a part of every one of thefe three portions of time, he might be faid, by an eafy liberty of speech, to have lain the whole. Gilpin

156. Creed continued.-Chrift's Afcen-
fion.-Belief in the Holy Ghoft.
We believe farther, that Christ" af-
+ 1 Cor. xv.

P 2

cended

cended into heaven, and fitteth on the right hand of God."

Chrift's afcenfion into heaven rests on the fame kind of proof, as his refurrection. Both of them are events, which the apostles were ordained to witnefs." But though their teftimony in this cafe, as well as in the refurrection, is certainly the most legal, and authentic proof, and fully fufficient for any reasonable man; yet this does not exclude the voluntary teftimony of others. It is evident, that the apoftles were not the fole eye-witneffes of this event: for when St. Peter called together the firft affembly of the church to chufe a fucceffor to Judas Iscariot, he tells them, they must neceffarily chufe one, out of those men, who had been witneffes of all that Chrift did, from his baptifm" till his afcenfion:" and we find, there were in that meeting an hundred and twenty perfons, thus qualified.

Be it however as it will, if this article fhould reft on a lefs formal proof, than the refurrection, it is of no great confequence: for if the refurrection be fully proved, nobody can well deny the afcenfion. If the teftimony of the evangelifts be allowed to prove the one; their word may be taken to establish the other.

With regard to the right hand of God," it is a fcriptural expreflion ufed merely in conformity to our grofs conceptions; and is not intended to imply any diftinction of parts, but merely the idea of pre-eminence.

We believe farther, that "Chrift fhall come to judge the quick and the dead.”

This article contains the moft ferious truth, that ever was revealed to mankind. In part it was an article of the heathen creed. To unenlightened nature it feemed probable, that, as we had reafon given us for a guide, we should hereafter be accountable for its abufe: and the poets, who were the prophets of early days, and durft deliver thofe truths under the veil of fable, which the philofopher kept more to himself, give us many traits of the popular belief on this fubject. But the gofpel alone threw a full light upon this awful truth.

In examining this great article, the curiofity of human nature, ever delighting to explore unbeaten regions, hath often been tempted, beyond its limits, into fruitlefs inquiries; fcrutinizing the time of this

See Acts i. 15.

event; and fettling, with vain precision, the circumstances of it. All curiosity of this kind is idle at leaft, if not prefumptuous. When the Almighty hath thrown a veil over any part of his dispensation, it is the folly of man to endeavour to draw it afide.

Let us then leave all fruitless inquiries about this great event; and employ our thoughts chiefly upon fuch circumstances of it as most concern us. Let us animate our hopes with the foothing reflection, that we have our sentence, in a manner, in our own power,-that the fame gracious gofpel, which directs our lives, fhall direct the judgment we receive,-that the fame gracious perfon fhall be our judge, who died for our fins-and that his goodness, we are affured, will fill operate towards us; and make the kindeft allowances for all our infirmities.

But left our hopes should be too buoyant, let us confider, on the other hand, what an awful detail against us will then appear. The fubject of that grand enquiry will be all our tranfgreffions of known duty-all our omiffions of knowing better-our fecret intentions-our indulged evil thoughtsthe bad motives, which often accompany our moft plaufible actions-and, we are told, even our idle words." He that hath ears to hear, let him hear."-Then shall it be known, whether we have answered the great ends of life?-Whether we have made this world fubfervient to a better? -Whether we have prepared ourselves for a state of happinefs in heaven, by endeavouring to communicate happiness to our fellow-creatures upon earth?" "Whether we have restrained our appetites, and paffions; and reduced them within the bounds of reason and religion? Or, whether we have given ourselves up to pleasure, gain, or ambition; and formed fuch attachments to this world, as fit us for nothing else; and leave us no hopes either of gaining, or of enjoying a better? It will be happy for us, if on all these heads of inquiry, we can answer without difmay.-Worldly diftinctions, we know, will then be of no avail. The proudeft of them will be then confounded. ˆ« Naked came we into the world; and naked must we return." We can carry nothing beyond the grave, but our virtues, and our vices.

I fhall conclude what hath been faid on the last judgment with a collection of pas

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