tages, and in spite of all this opposition, this religion spreads through the world: it triumphs over all the arguments of philosophers, the edicts of emperors, the engines and instruments of idolatry, which opposed all its force against it. And since both earth and hell thus conspired to destroy it, we must needs think that its preservation and success can only be ascribed to Heaven.

But because it has been suggested, that there are certain ages and periods of the world when any thing of this kind will go down; i. e. when any religious imposture will make its way among ignorant and credulous men; let it just be remembered, that the time when the gospel made its appearance was not one of those dark and ignorant ages. On the contrary, it came upon the stage when the stage was crowded, as it were, with persons who hardly ever had their equals for learning, eloquence, and politeness. And their history and writings have spread such a light over that period, that there is no other remote one, with the state and transactions of which we are so well acquainted. We have by this means the pleasure of seeing several facts and customs, places and persons, and characters of persons, mentioned in the New Testament, confirmed by the collateral testimony of other writers. This is of itself no mean argument that the books of the New Testament are authentic, and of the date and value to which they pretend. For impostors generally blunder in some or other of these matters; and in undertaking to write about things of which they have no certain knowledge, their ignorance detects their fraud. But besides this, these books were received by all Christians, were read in their public assemblies, were

translated into different languages, were quoted by ecclesiastical writers; and even the writers on the other side, the ancient enemies and opposers of Christianity, do not tax the books that contain the accounts of it with being spurious. And lastly, the numerous and successive sectaries and heretics, which in every age have disturbed the peace of the church, plainly prove, that it was impossible either to forge or impose new sacred books, or to corrupt the old. For the orthodox and they would be a sort of spies upon the actions of one another; and no imposture of this kind could be contrived by one party, but what the other would soon find out and expose. "So that if we go back from age to age to Jesus "Christ himself, we shall see Christians, heretics, "Jews, and pagans, all giving testimony to the same "facts and to the same books r."

I have laid before you, in as summary a way as I could, the principal evidence of our religion. It has been observed, that revelation was highly expedient and much wanted; that considering the perfections and goodness of God, there was some reason to hope for it; that the Christian revelation, both as to its doctrines and duties, contains nothing but what is worthy of God, and what may justly be supposed to proceed from him; and that it is positively proved to have proceeded from him by the miracles of Jesus Christ and his apostles. Moreover it was shewn, that as Christ appealed to the prophecies of the Old Testament, so in him the prophecies of the Old Testament, relating to the Messiah, were fulfilled; that the establishment of this religion was so

See archbishop of Cambray's Life, p. 234.

miraculous, that the hand of God appears to have been plainly in it; and that the books which contain the accounts of it are genuine and authentic. A wise man may reasonably enough be satisfied with this evidence, and persuaded thereby to be a Christian ; as the wisest, and best, and greatest of men actually have been in every age since it first appeared in the world. If some others reject it, let that give you no concern; whether they are induced to do so by their reason or their passions, is a point you need not determine; to their own Master they stand or fall. It is of infinitely greater consequence to every one of us, to take care that his own life, as well as his faith, be Christian. For Christianity is not a name, a sect, an outward profession; but it is that grace of God which bringeth salvation, by teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in the present worlds. Let us therefore (in the words of another apostle) add to our faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

s Titus ii. II, 12.

t 2 Pet. i. 5-8.

SERMON II.

ACTS iv. 33.

And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.

THE resurrection of Christ being a fact of an extraordinary nature, and urged not merely for itself, but in support of as extraordinary pretensions, it is but reasonable to expect that it should be attended with very clear and satisfactory evidence. But be this as reasonable as it will, it is on the other hand highly absurd to call for such evidence as is unnecessary or improper; and absurder still to insist on such as is impossible, and what the very nature of the thing will not admit. The case we are to consider being a distant event, is not capable of every kind of proof. It cannot, for instance, be evinced in a mathematical or metaphysical way, from the connexion and agreement of the ideas; and though some men have been so unreasonable as to insist on evidence, which they had no right to demand, yet none pretend that Christ should appear to every person of every age, in order to give him sensible evidence that he is risen. The matter then at last must depend upon testimony of some sort or other; and the only inquiry with us ought to be, whether what we have at present be credible and sufficient, such as safely may, and such as reasonably ought to be relied on. Exceptions indeed have been made, and many cavils raised against it; but none has been offered

with a greater air of triumph than the circumstance of our Lord's appearing only to his friends and followers. But so different are the sentiments of divine wisdom and of human folly, that this circumstance, which unbelievers urge as a plea for their infidelity, the apostles seem to insist on as an advantage to their cause, and a reason why we should receive their witness. Had Christ appeared after his resurrection to the Jewish rulers, or had he appeared to a more considerable body of men, the Roman senate; nay, had he appeared to all the dwellers both at Jerusalem and at Rome, it is impossible for us to say what would have been the issue. But we all stand here as witnesses, and this day a is a happy indication of the success of that method, which God was pleased to take, in shewing him openly not to all the people, but to chosen witnesses, who were most intimately acquainted with him before his passion, and who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead: upon these accounts the apostles were left qualified to bear witness of this great event, with regard to mere human qualifications; and the further succours, which they received from above, will be taken notice of in the course of these observations. With great power gave the apostles witness, &c.

a

The words must mean either all or some of these things their power of working miracles, the wisdom and courage with which they preached this article of their Lord's resurrection, or the wonderful success with which their preaching was attended. And taken together, they contain this proposition,

a

Easter-day.

b Acts x. 40, 41.