pointed by the council of Omnipotence for the Mes‐ siah to suffer in this manner, and that after sustaining the greatest indignities, reproach and contempt from the malice and perverseness of mankind, and even undergoing an ignominious and cruel death, to be exalted to a glorious and eternal kingdom. After having said this, he began at the writings of Moses, and explained to them in order, all the principal passages, both in the books of that great legislator, and the writings of the other prophets, relating to his own sufferings, death, and glorious resurrection, as predicted of. him.

This he did, with such surprising plainness, clearness and strength, that the two disciples, not yet suspecting who he was, were as much amazed to find a stranger so well acquainted with all that JESUS did and suffered, as they at first wondered at his appearing to be totally ignorant of these transactions. They were also astonished to hear him interpret and apply the Scriptures to their present purpose, with such readiness and convincing clearness of argument, as carried with it a strange and unusual authority and efficacy. When therefore they came to the village whither they were going, and JESUS seemed as if he would have passed on and travelled further, they, desirous of his company, pressed him in the strongest manner, to tarry with them that night, as it was then late in the evening.

The great Redeemer of mankind consented to this request, and when they were sat down to supper, he took bread, and gave thanks to God, and brake it, and gave it to them in the same manner he used to do while he conversed with them upon earth before his death. This engaged their attention, and looking stedfastly on him, they perceived it was their great and beloved Master: but they had then no time to express their joy and astonishment to their benevolent Redeemer; for he vanished out of their sight immediately.

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No sooner did they perceive that their Master was departed, than they said one to another, How slow and stupid were we before, not to know him on the road while he explained to us the Scriptures; when besides the affability of his discourse, and the strength and clearness of his arguments, we perceived such an authority in what he said, and such a powerful efficacy attending his words, and striking our hearts with affection, as we could not but have known, if we had not been remarkably stupid, to have been the very same that used to accompany his teaching, and was peculiar to our dear Master, who spake as never man spoke.

After this surprising event, they did not think proper to stay any longer in Emmaus, but returned that very night to Jerusalem and found the apostles, with several other disciples, discoursing about the resurrection of their Master; and on their entering the room, the disciples accosted them, saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared unto Simon.

The reports of the women were little credited, supposing they were occasioned more by imagination than reality: but when a person of Simon's capacity and gravity declared he had seen the Lord, they began to think that he was really risen from the dead. Their belief of this was greatly confirmed by the arrival of the two disciples from Emmaus, who declar ed to their brethren, how Jesus had appeared to them on the road and how they discovered him to be their Master, by his breaking of bread, when he sat down. to supper with them.

During this conversation of the disciples from Emmaus, describing the manner of the appearing of Jesus to them, and offering arguments to convince those who doubted the truth of it, their great Master himself put an end to the debate, by standing in the midst of them, and saying, Peace be unto you.

The disciples were greatly terrified at this appearance of our blessed Saviour, supposing they had seen a spirit; for as they had secured the doors of the house where they were assembled for fear of the Jews, and Jesus having opened the locks, by his miraculous power, without the knowledge of any in the house, it was natural for them to think that a spiritual substance only could enter. The circumstance therefore of the doors being shut, is very happily mentioned by St. John; because it suggests a reason why the disciples took their Master for a spirit, notwithstanding many of them were convinced that he was really risen from the dead, and were that moment conversing about the event.

However, to dispel their fears and doubts; Jesus came forward, spake to them in the most endearing accent, shewed them his hands and his feet, and desired them to handle him, in order to convince themselves, by the united report of their different senses, that it was he himself, and no spectre or apparition: Why are ye troubled, said the benevolent Redeemer of mankind, and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? 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. Luke xxiv. 38, 39.

By these infallible proofs, the disciples were sufficiently convinced of the truth of their Lord's resurrection, and they received him with rapture and exultation; but their joy and wonder had so great an ef fect on their minds, that some of them, sensible of the great commotion they were in, suspended their belief, till they had considered the matter more calmly: JeSUS therefore knowing their thoughts, called for meat, and eat with them, in order to prove more fully, the truth of his resurrection from the dead, and the reality of his presence with them at this time. When JESUS had given this further occular demonstration of his having vanquished the power of death, and opened

the tremendous portals of the grave, he again repeated his salutation, Peace be unto you; adding, The same commission that my Father hath given unto me, I give unto you: go ye therefore into every part of the world, and preach the gospel to all the children of men. Then breathing on them, he said, receive ye the Holy Ghost, to direct and assist you in the execution of your commission: whosoever embraces your doctrine, and sincerely repents, ye shall remit his sins, and your sentence of absolution shall be ratified and confirmed in the courts of heaven: and whosoever either obstinately rejects your doctrine, disobeys it, or behaves himself unworthily, after he hath embraced it, his sins shall not be forgiven him; but the censure ye shall pass upon him on earth, shall be confirmed in heaven to his condemnation,

At this meeting of the apostles, Thomas, otherwise called Didymus, was absent; nor did this happen without the special direction of Providence, that the particular and extraordinary satisfaction which was afterwards granted him, might be an abundant and undeniable testimony of the truth of our blessed Saviour's resurrection, to all succeeding generations. The rest of the apostles therefore told him, that they had seen the Lord, and repeated to him the words he had delivered in their hearing: but Thomas replied, This event is of such great importance, that unless, to prevent all possibility of deception, I see him with my own eyes, and feel him with my own hands, putting my fingers into the print of the nails whereby he was fastened to the cross, and thrusting my hand into his side which the soldier pierced with his spear; I will not believe that he is risen from the dead in reality and truth as ye affirm.

We have now enumerated, in the most explicit manner, the transactions of that day, on which the great Redeemer of mankind arose from the dead; a day highly to be remembered by the children of men,

throughout all generations; a day, in which was fully completed and displayed the conceptions lodged in the breast of infinite Wisdom from all eternity; even those thoughts of love and mercy, on which the salvation of the world depended. Christians have, therefore, the highest reason to solemnize this day with gladness, each returning week, by ceasing from their labour, and giving up themselves to prayer, pious meditations, and other exercises of religion. The redemption of mankind, which they weekly commemorate, affords matter of eternal thought; it is a subject impossible to be equalled, and whose lustre, neither length of time, nor frequent reviewing can either tarnish or diminish: it resembles the sun, which we behold always the same glorious and luminous object; for the benefit we celebrate is, after so many ages, as fresh and beautiful as ever, and will always continue the same, flourishing in the memories of all reasonable beings through the endless revolutions of eternity. Redemption is the brightest mirror in which we contemplate the goodness of the Almighty, other gifts are only mites from the divine treasury; but redemption opens, we had almost said exhausts, all the stores of grace. May it be constantly the favourite subject of our meditations, more delightful to our musing minds, than applause to the ambitious ear! May it be the darling theme of our discourses; sweeter to our tongues than the droppings of the honey-comb to the taste! May it be our choicest comfort, through all the changes of this mortal life, and the reviving cordial, even in the, last extremities of dissolution itself, and upon the verge of the grave!

After our great Redeemer had been risen eight days from the dead, he shewed himself again to his disciples while Thomas was with them, and upbraided that disciple for his unbelief: but knowing that it did not, like that of the Pharisees, proceed from a wicked mind, but from an honest heart, and a sincere desire of being satisfied of the truth, he addressed himself parti