Luke xxiv. II.

fupport them withal, by an affurance, that he would rife again the third Day. Notwithstanding all which Warnings, The Women, who returned from the Sepulchre, and related their Vision of Angels, though Perfons of known Integrity, were yet but indifferently received. Their Words (fays St. Luke) feemed to them as idle Tales, and they believed them not. The greatest use, that was made of it, feems to be the putting Peter and John here, upon examining matters more ftrictly. And yet even They do not appear, to have made all thofe Conclufions from the pofture they found things in, as have been fhewn, fairly and naturally to be gathered from it. After this, he appeared in Perfon to Mary Magdalene, as the following part of this Chapter acquaints us. But with what Succefs, as to the Difciples, St. Mark tells us, Chap. xvi. Ver. 10, 11. For She went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept. But They, when they heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed her not. The fame Day, Two of them went to a Village in the Country, and he appeared to Them; walked with them, discoursed them largely, expounded the Old Teftament Prophecies concerning himself, and still their Eyes and their Understandings were blinded, that they could not fee him. But, by Breaking of Bread the difcovery was made at laft, and great hafte was used, to carry back these joyful Tydings, to the reft of their Company. But when they went and told it to the refidue, neither believed they them, fays St. Mark. After this, he refolved to give them Ocular Demonftration, and fhewing himself to the Eleven; upbraided them with their Unbelief, that They gave no credit to Others, who had feen him before. But now they were fo far from trufting Others, that they durft not truft even their own Eyes. They were terrified and affrighted, fuppofing that they had feen a Spirit. To deliver them

xvi. 13.

Luke xxiv. 37.

from

Luke xxiv. 41, 42, 43.

John xx. 24. 30.

from this Fear, he commands them to handle him; and to convince themselves, that he had Flesh and Bones, and was no airy Subftance, or empty Apparition. Still they were more amazed, than convinced. And therefore, to remove all Scruple, while they yet believed not for Joy and wondred, he called for Meat, and took it, and did eat before them. This, one would think, fhould give Satisfaction to the most Sceptical Doubters. But Thomas, who happened not to be there at that time, would not be content even fo. He required a farther confirmation yet, which was, The Marks and Wounds made by his Crucifixion. And to this likewife Jefus condefcends. For, at Another Visit to the Difciples, he caufed Thomas to thrust his hand into his Side, which the Spear had pierced, and his Fingers into the print of the Nails, that had fastened him to the Crofs, and fo gained the acknowledgment of this fo very cautious Perfon too. Again, to make all complete, that could be any way neceffary, he likewife appeared another time at the Sea-fide; and there made himself known to them, by commanding a wonderful draught of Fishes. Thus his Divine Wisdom faw it expedient (as we exprefs it in one of our Collects) to fuffer them to doubt, for the more confirmation of the Faith. And he managed those Doubts fo, that no Circumftance fhould be wanting at laft, to prove his Refurrection. And, tho' he let them into those Proofs by degrees, as They were fit for them, and able to bear them; yet he did it fo artificially and prudently too, that every fresh Inftance confirmed, and added fomething to, thofe that went before. The empty Sepulchre confirmed the report of the Women: Chrift's appearance to Mary Magdalene fhewed he was alive; That to the Difciples at Emmaus proved, that it was at leaft the Spirit of Chrift, by expounding the Prophecies, and breaking of Bread; That to the Eleven fhewed the

John xxi.

S. Thomas's Day.

rea

reality of his Body; The Conviction given Thomas, proved it the felf fame Body, that had been crucified; And that Miracle of the Fishes argued the fame Divine Nature, ftill united to the fame Body. So that, though here be many Evidences, yet none of them are fuperfluous. Every one hath fomething new, and peculiarly its own; and All together are a Demonftration, fo full and Satisfactory, of the fame Chrift, the fame God and Man in one Perfon, returned from the dead; that we have great Reason to praise God, for fuffering the Difciples to doubt so much, and fo long; fince by their not believing, but because they had feen, there is the greater

Security given to Us, who have not feen, John xx. 29.

and yet have believed. For,

Acts i. 8.

X. 41, 42.

Secondly, This contributed likewife to the fatisfying Others in the Truth of our Lord's Refurrection, as it took away all thofe Prejudices, that might rife, and ufually do rife, upon the firft Reporters taking up things too haftily. Thefe Difciples were to be, (as they ftile themselves) the Witneffes of our Lord's Refurrection. And therefore it was of great Concern to the World, upon what Convictions they embraced aTruth, which Others, who could not be Eye-witneffes of it, were to reft upon Their Teftimony for. The Apoftles, we know, were plain Men, and conftant followers of our Lord; fo that both their Ability, and their Honefty, might be called in queftion, upon this Occafion. The Simplicity of their Life and Converfation, though it might free them from the Sufpicion of deceiving others; yet could not give any Affurance, that they were not deceived themselves. And we know, Men are often exceeding pofitive, in Things that afterwards prove to be false; and which might have been detected fooner, if they had had either the Judgment, or the Patience, to examine them ftrictly. Especially too, if there be any Intereft concerned in the Cafe; how great a fep, towards the believing

Matth. xii. 40. xvi. 4.

lieving a thing True, is the wifhing, that it were fo? And what Cafe could lie more open to this Sufpicion, than that now before us? Upon Chrift's rifing, or not rifing from the Dead, would depend the Authority of his Doctrine, and all his Miracles. Himself had referred the whole Iffue to this laft, this important Sign; that, as Jonas was three days and three nights in the Whale's belly, so the Son of Man fhould be three days and three nights in the heart of the Earth. So that all His Reputation, and all Theirs too, depended upon it. And therefore both the Love of their Mafter, and a Tenderness for themselves, might reasonably be thought to biafs them in this Particular; and to make the Paffage for fuch an Opinion much more eafy and open to their Minds. But now, When, instead of all this, they seemed rather stupid and infenfible; infomuch that our Saviour reproaches them with folly and flowness of understanding, Luke xxiv. 52. nay with infidelity and hardness of Heart: When they were fo far from inclining to the Belief of it, as to be rather obftinately bent against it, and stood out against all the Impreffions of this Kind, with a fort of refolute Perverseness: When they would neither credit one another, nor their own felves; but cavilled at every fresh Instance, and raised new Scruples, and new Difficulties perpetually: And yet, when afterwards these very Men were fo firmly perfuaded of this, that they ftaked down their Lives in Vindication of it: These must needs be Confiderations of mighty weight to establish their Credit. For Thefe free them from all Imputation of Eafinefs and Partiality. And we cannot in Reafon have any thing to fay against such Witneffes; nor attribute their Confidence at laft to any other Cause, than to the powerful Evidence of Truth upon their own Confciences. They proceeded fo warily, and fo far renounced their own Intereft; as to doubt every Circumstance, and resolve not to believe, till there was

no

no Pretence left for the doubting any longer. They received nothing, till it had been moft critically enquired into. And they ftood out against thofe Reports of credible Men, and of their own Senfes, to which, if any Confideration of Intereft could have fwayed them, they would have reconciled themselves the very first Moment. And more than this we cannot have, More we cannot afk, in any Witnefs, than Judgment, and Care, and Integrity: And all Thefe attefted to, by the Seal of the Holy Ghoft, the Gift of Miracles from Heaven. So that, upon all Accounts, the Delays and Doubtings of the Apoftles were of Mighty Advantage to this Doctrine of the Refurrection. They gave Occafion for more convincing and fenfible Proofs of it to Themselves; And they rendred them more competent and credible Attefters of it to Others.

These are Confiderations, exceeding proper for this Solemnity; to fatisfy every Chriftian, what a firm Foundation his Faith ftands upon, and to put all its Enemies to confufion. But, unlefs we do fomething more than argue for our Saviour's Refurrection; it had been the fame thing to Us, if he had never rifen at all. The Second Leffon for this Morning Service, and the Epiftle for the Day, tell us largely, what use is to be made of this Article. That Owning, and being baptized into the belief of it, implies our being conformed to the likenefs of what our Saviour hath done. That we muft rife with Him; and prove, that we do fo, by fetting our Affections on things above; That, as Chrift was raifed from the Dead by the Glory of the Father, fo We Should also walk in newness of Life; That, as He died to Sin once, and now liveth unto God, fo We should reckon our Selves dead unto Sin, but alive unto God; Alive like Him, over whom the Law of Sin and Death hath no more dominion, and who returned not a fecond time to Corruption. Remember then, that Chrift is rifen, but remember withal, that They only

Col. iii. 1, 2.

Rom. vi. 4, 9,

10, 11.