their fault or errour lay in this, they were wont to meet together, on a stated day, before it was light and sing among themselves, alternately, a hymn to Christ as God; and bind themselves by an oath, not to the commission of any wickedness, but not to be guilty of [theft, robbery, or adultery."

Celsus, Lucian, Epictetus, Porphery, Galen, and Julian, all early and powerful opponents of christianity, yet they all admit the principal facts on which this religion is founded. They even admit the miracles of the apostles, but think they must have been performed by the magick art. While they all bear ample testimony to the high moral character of the apostles, as well as of the early christians generally; that "they entertained peculiarly strong hopes of immortal life, and great contempt for this world and its enjoyments; and that they courageously endured many afflictions on account of their principles, and sometimes surrendered themselves to sufferings. Honesty and probity prevailed so much among them, that they trusted each other without security. Their master had earnestly recommended to all his followers, mutual love, by which also they were much distinguished." Yet these men would believe that such men of honesty, probity, contempt of worldly enjoyments, and of death; who willingly suffered for their principles, and hoped strongly for immortality, were after all deceivers and impostors, who lied about the resurrection of Christ, and practiced jugglery to deceive men!!! Such was the consistency of early infidels.

3. But if the writers of the New Testament were deceivers, and designedly propagated a falsehood, what motive could they have had in it? On this supposition, they could not have been actuated by a sense of duty, and the prospect of a heavenly crown beyond this vale of tears.One said "if in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable."-Cor. xv. 19. If they knew their testimony was false, they could not have been

actuated by any hope of future reward, nor by that benevolent temper of mind, which breathes out in all their actions; nor by that love of truth, which stands out so prominently in all their writings. And had they any worldly motives? Was there any priestcraft about them? They are admitted to have held all worldly possessions and enjoyments in utter contempt. If their natural wants were supplied, they were thankful; if not, they were content to suffer for the sake of Christ. They could not be acting in hopes of the honours that after ages would heap upon their memories; for if they were only teaching falsehood against all law and all publick opinion, as well as against the strongest propensities of men, they could not have anticipated the success and glorious triumphs that have attended and crowned their labours. No. Infidels have never been able to assign them a motive for their deception. They could have had no motives. They existed with Christ. They knew whether his religion was from heaven or not. They knew whether he had risen from the dead, or whether they had stolen and concealed his body. They sustained an exalted moral character. They were not charmed with splendid worldly prospects that fired their ambition. But publick contempt, the scorn of men, the wrath of every government on earth, the vengeance of a bigoted priesthood, and their inflamed and excited followers were in full view before them. Jesus had told them that all these things would come upon them. They saw the dangers and perils before them. They saw the arms of the universe against them. They saw the universal fires of cruel and heart rending persecution through which they must follow their master, and in which they must expire. Yet they did not shrink! They smiled on faggots and chains, and moved on triumphant in suffering; and died rejoicing that they were accounted worthy to die for him they loved. Did they know that he was an impostor-and that they had hid his body? Look upon Peter. When he saw his Lord

bleeding in the hands of his enemies, he lost all his faith in him; and like a cowardly wretch, he slunk away, and denied that he had any counexion with him, but when he comes forward to announce his resurrection, he is no longer the same faithless cowardly man. He no longer feels ashamed of his master, nor fears the frowns or vengeance of his countrymen. He comes out in the very panoply of heaven, as if conscious of being sustained by the omnipotence of God; and boldly tells the Jews that Jesus Christ, whom they murdered, had risen from the dead; and called on them to repent. Peter never trembled again. Neither men nor devils, nor burning torments had any power to shake his heaven directed soul, or cool the unquenchable fervour, with which he unfurled the banner of his risen Lord. Was he an impostor? Is it in the power of an unrisen man, to transform a shrinking, ignorant coward from despair, to a hero that regards not the world, and pours his torrents of more than mortal eloquence upon the listening multitudes, which floats away prejudice and wrath in its mighty inspiration, and brings happy thousands to how to his sceptre? Are such men as Peter was very likely to rise up, and propagate a falsehood, amidst smoke and fire and death, without an earthly object?

Look at Saul of Tarsus. Was he a deceiver? What had he to gain by such a deception? Nothing-yet he had every thing to lose. He was learned and popular ; and his country offered him every inducement to avarice, or ambition, or pleasure. He was prejudiced too against the religion of Jesus. When on a sudden he turned around. He could not have been deceived himself; for he says he saw a light, and heard a voice and understood the words; and that Jesus appeared to him last of all, and instructed him in his ministry. All this was true or he was an impostor. But does he write like an impostor? We might say, he teaches nothing but goodness. Why did he turn from all the world admires, and all that charms and dazzles

human ambition or cupidity, to an unpopular, poor, and despised impostor? Why did he leave every dear object behind, and go, despised, reviled, and persecuted from city to city and land to land; every where proclaiming Jesus and the resurrection; every where bleeding and suffering, enduring stripes, imprisonments, and perils, that he might bear the gospel to unthankful Gentiles? Did he thus propagate a falsehood, which he had himself despised, for the poor privilege of living in jeopardy-an outcast in the world, and a martyr in death? There is a bold, untiring fortitude, an unyielding contempt of danger and death and all selfish considerations, which forbid the supposition of imposture, in the acts of this great apostle, as well as in the lives of all the disciples. Not one of them ever turned back, and attempted to expose any imposition of the fraternity, after Jesus had risen. Not one of them ever shrunk from persecution or death; for life and death, and all worldly things were wrapped up in their high and supreme devotion to the great Captain, who had despoiled the "king of terrours" of his triumphs, disenthroned him in the field of his trophies, and opened the glorious vestibule to immortality. There is something in the career and character of the apostles, on which the pious imagination lingers with sweet and delightful feeling. All that is admirable in patience, wonderful in fortitude, amiable in meekness, astonishing in self-denial, firm in principle, and ardent in devotion to the publick weal, was theirs. Jesus at the head of his immediate followers, exhibits a band of actors upon the moral theatre of the world, perfect and bright, beyond all comparison. A moral grandeur is exhibited in them that overawes while it delights the heart, and commends the religion of Jesus to the latest ages of the world. Reader-can you despise that Saviour and those apostles, who spread the divine virtues and hopes of religion over the world, not merely without earthly motives but contrary to all such motives? We think not. We have proved, that

the apostles were not themselves deceived, and they did not knowingly deceive others. Therefore the conclusion is irresistible, that they taught the truth, and that "Jesus is the Son of God."

VII. Did Jesus rise from the dead?—This question involves the whole subject of the christian religion. If this be so, then the christian religion is from heaven. If not so, the whole is an imposition. Paul predicates the whole system upon this point, "If Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain."—1 Cór. xv: 14. Therefore, all we have said is designed to establish this fact; and although we have not touched the tenth of the evidence in proof of revelation, yet we think we have already adduced sufficient evidence for all unprejudiced readers. But we wish to convince the prejudiced if possible. We know of no historick fact so well sustained by indubitable evidence. And there is not one that we believe to be true with more full, clear, and entire conviction of mind. It seems to us, upon examination, so completely environed on every hand, with such strong, full, and positive proof, that no person can avoid conviction, who gives it a full and fair investigation.

1. The evangelists and apostles, in different places and at different times, repeatedly declare that Jesus foretold his death and resurrection. That he declared he must be put to death by the chief priests, and would rise again on the third day, &c. And that he refused to go away as his disciples advised him, when he foresaw the time was at hand. They also affirm that he instituted, the day before, á memorial of the death he was about to suffer. This was the bread and wine offered his disciples, as sensible symbols of his body and blood, accompanied with these remarkable words: "This is my body which is given for you.This cup is the New Testament in my blood”.—Luke xx11: 19, 20.

Now if all this is true, we must believe Christ to have