SER M. ples, and converfing with them, and afcending into CCXXXVII. heaven, was a forgery and imposture.

Anfw. 1. We have early notice given of this in the history of the gospel, Matt. xxviii. 11. that when the chief priefts heard that his body was gone out of the grave, they confulted together, and hired the foldiers to say that the difciples came by night, and whilst they were afleep, ftole him away. Obferve what it was that the foldiers were to teftify, that whilst they were afleep, the difciples came and ftole away his body. Very credible perfons, that were to give teftimony of what they faw done, whilst they were asleep! A man had need to be hired with a great fum to give fuch a teftimony, fo ridiculous: and it seems the Pharifees looked upon the governor as very fimple, that would be fo eafily perfuaded of fo unlikely a thing.

2. It should seem it was not believed by themfelves; for Jofephus, a knowing and learned man of that nation and religion, who lived immediately after that time, fpeaks pofitively in the 18th book of his antiquities, that CHRIST was crucified, and appeared to his difciples the third day, rifing from "the dead ;" and he speaks not a word of the forgery, which had been much for the credit of his nation and religion.

66

3. If we compare the fidelity of the persons on both fides; the witneffes of CHRIST's refurrection cannot be suspected of any worldly intereft or defign; but the priests and Pharifees were concerned, both in reputation and intereft, to blaft this miracle as much as they could; because, if it fhould be entertained, both their religion would be endangered, and they would be looked upon as murderers

of

of him, whofe holiness and innocency was attefted S ER M. by fuch a miracle.

4. If this exception had been true, it had been eafy to have discovered the impofture, and undeceived the people; the gofpel would have fallen and funk in a short time. Nothing but truth could have borne up and prevailed against so much oppofition. If this had been the work" of men," and an imposture, it would have come to nought;" but it was truth, and "of GOD," and therefore it "could "not be overthrown."

Secondly, that he was not dead when he was put into the grave; that he was but in a swoon or deliquium, and fo might rife again without a

miracle.

Anfw. 1. We may reasonably fuppofe, that the malice of the Jews took care to kill him. Besides, the circumstances of the story do fufficiently evidence it. Upon the piercing of his fide, "water "and blood came out;" which was an evidence that his heart was pierced. And after his body was exhausted of its blood, there could be no return to life again. But it feems the foldiers were fatisfied in the thing, who when they came to break his bones, spared him, "because they faw that he "was already dead."

2. If he was not dead, yet how should he rife again? It was a pitiful fecuring of the grave, and a little great ftone that was rolled upon it, if a weak, and wounded, and spent man, after fo much pain, and the expence of fo much blood, could roll it away.

3. Suppofe he did rife, what became of him afterwards? How came we to have no particulars

of

CCXXXVII.

CCXXXVII.

SER M. of what became of him? If thofe which the story gives us be true, that after forty days he was taken up into heaven, we need not doubt of his refurrection, for this is as miraculous as that.

Thirdly, the third and last exception is as unreafonable as any, which grants that he did feem to appear to his difciples, but they were impofed upon by the illufion of evil spirits.

Anfw. i. That which may be an evasion in any cafe, is to be admitted in no cafe. This exception fuppofeth as much evidence for his refurrection as this or any other thing is capable of; and yet would make it an illufion: but this denies all certainty; for if we may be deceived when we have the greatest affurance of a thing that our fenfes can give us; then we may not only queftion the refurrection of CHRIST, but every thing else.

2. If we believe the providence of God, we cahnot think it to be fo little vigilant, as that honeft and well-meaning perfons fhould be continually expofed to the infolence and cheats of evil fpirits, and in a matter of the greatest concernment fhould be ever liable to be deceived, and cannot help it.

Having thus confidered our SAVIOUR'S refurrection, and anfwered the objections against it, I proceed to thofe two miracles which followed his refurrection; namely, his afcenfion into heaven; and his fending the holy Ghoft upon the apostles and primitive Chriftians in fuch miraculous powers and gifts.

First, his afcenfion into heaven. And of this the difciples of our SAVIOUR were alfo eye-witneffes. So St. Luke tells us, Acts i. 4, 9. " And "when they were affembled together," and CHRIST

among

CCXXXVII.

among them after his refurrection, and when he had S ER M. given them in charge what he would have them to do, "as they looked on, he was taken up, and a "cloud received him out of their fight." What more visible demonftration could there be, that this man was fent of GOD, than that, after he had preached the doctrine which he came to deliver to the world, and confirmed it by fo many miracles, and GOD had given fo great an atteftation to him, by raising him up from the dead; I fay, what more vifible demonftration that he came from GoD, than to fee him taken up into heaven, after he had finished the work for which GOD fent him into the world.

Secondly, the fending of the holy Ghost upon the apostles and primitive Chriftians in fuch miraculous powers and gifts, whereby they were enabled to speak diverse languages, in order to the more expedite publishing of the gofpel to the world, to heal diseases, and to raise the dead, to foretel things to come, and (which was common with the apostles and all Christians for fomne ages) they had a power of cafting out devils, by adjuring them in the name of CHRIST. Now what could be a clearer evidence that he came from GoD, and was returned to him, than the conferring of fuch miraculous powers and gifts upon men, after he was afcended into heaven, as a teftimony that he was invefted in his royalty, having a power conferred upon him to difpenfe thofe gifts to men.

But of the afcenfion of our SAVIOUR, and the extraordinary gifts of the holy Ghoftt, having up

See vol. X. ferm. CXCVI.

† Ibid. ferm. CXCVII, CXCVIII, CXCIX. and ferm. CCXXIX, CCXXX, CCXXXI. of this volume:

VOL. XI.

G g

on

CCXXXVII

SERM on other occafions difcourfed at large, I fhall need to add no more here; only, before I conclude this head, I fhall briefly mention the chief of those objections, which thefe miracles, which were wrought by our SAVIOUR and on his behalf, are liable to, and endeavour to return a fatisfactory anfwer to them. And there are two objections against his miracles in general.

First, that he wrought them by the power of the devil.

Secondly, the other objection is taken from that expreflion of the evangelift, Matt. xiii. 58. where it is faid, that when JESUS was in his own country, "he did not many mighty works there, because of "their unbelief;" which faying is perverfely abused by fome, as if it fignified, that the credulity and ftrong imagination of the people was a great ingredient into his miracles.

First, that he wrought them by the power of the devil. This was the objection' which the Jews of old made against our SAVIOUR, Matt. xii. 24. "that he caft out devils by Beelzebub the prince "of the devils," who had power and authority over the reft, and confequently to caft out those that were fubject to him; and the Jews at this day make the fame objection against all his miracles. Celfus did the fame.

To this I cannot render a better answer than our SAVIOUR himself did, when this objection was first ftarted, which was twofold.

1. That it was very unlikely, that the devil fhould contribute to the ruin and overthrow of his own kingdom, Matt. xii. 25, "dom divided against itself is

26. “ Every kingbrought to defola

❝tion: