will deny its miraculous character. In the discussion, therefore, the first question to be settled is this:-Did Jesus Christ really die, as is recorded in the Scriptures?

Four evangelists have given circumstantial accounts of his death. Two were eye witnesses, and wrote independently of each other, as the manner in which they record the circumstances evince. The other two, though they took their accounts second hand, evidently, wrote independently. The records of the four, have an air of probability about them, and accord with the Roman method of crucifixion. His bloody sweat would scarcely have been mentioned, unless by one, who was scrupulous in recording facts, as such a phenomena is of very rare occurrence; though we have the best of proof, that such instances have been known of persons, suffering great mental agony. The particulars of his apprehension, trial, the time and place of his execution, the scourging, the mocking, his bearing his own cross, his refusing the intoxicating draught such as was usually given to criminals to mitigate the pains of death, the tablet placed over his head specifying his accusation, the breaking of the legs of the thieves that suffered with him, the speediness of his death which afforded the soldiers a reason for not breaking his legs, all these circumstances are quite natural, and are related with a particularity, and impassionate tone, as is not common for either forgers or fanatics.

All parties must have been satisfied of his death. Nothing but the most absolute certainly could have stilled the rage of the Jews; the centurian saw him die; Pilate marvelled that he were already dead; and added to these circumstances, these things were not done in a corner, but by

the high way side, where all could gaze upon the transac tion. Under such circumstances, we can scarcely imagine that deception could have been possible.

Had there been any doubt of his death, the thrust of the Roman spear, opening a wound in the side sufficiently wide for the admission of Thomas' hand, (John 20: 27,) must have decided the question. Commentators are of opinion that the water that issued from the wound, came from the pericardium, consequently that organ must have been pierced; and we are assured, that such a phenomenon could take place, only, in a subject recently dead.* The wound of the spear, of itself, would have probably caused death, had not life been already extinct.

None of the ancients, whether Jews or heathen, doubted the reality of his death. This, for many years, appears to have been universally admitted. No one ventured the opinion, that he swooned, or that there was any deception in the case.

Thus it appears evident, that Christ did die on the cross, and we apprehend one half of the evidence, in relation to the death of any other ancient, would place the question beyond all doubt, in the mind of all reasonable men.

Let us now consider another question. Did that same Jesus, who was crucified, arise from the dead? If he did not arise from the dead, his disciples were either deceived, or they practiced a gross deception in stealing him away. That they, who had so freely associated with him in life, could have been deceived by the frequent appearance of an

*See appendix at the close of the lectures.

impostor, who professed to be their leader, is impossible. The case is one in which deception was not practicable. Could Thomas have been deceived, when called to examine his hands and side? Could those two intimate acquaintances have been deceived, when they talked with him, and their hearts burned, as they travelled the way to Emmeas? Would not an impostor have found a detector in the midst. of the five hundred to whom he appeared?

If he did not arise from the dead, the only alternative is that, as the soldiers reposed, his disciples came by night, and stole him away, which is scarcely less reasonable, than that the disciples themselves were deceived.

In order for this, we must suppose that sixty soldiers, constituting the Roman watch, fearless of the law they were violating, whose penalty was death, were all asleep at the same time, and that the apostles removed the body of Jesus, while no one was disturbed. We can scarcely believe this possible.

The disciples must, very suddenly, have lost the cowardice that prompted them to forsake their Lord at his trial, and acquired great boldness, thus to approach a sepulchre, guarded by sixty armed soldiers, at the time of the full moon. * A very short time before, they had fled from their leader, leaving him to the mercy of his foes, not one of them daring to vindicate his cause. When Jesus referred those who inquired for his doctrines and manner of life, to those who had been with him, even the veteran Peter shrunk back, and no one boldly stood forth in his

*See Horne Vol. 1 p. 115.

defence. What influence has the ignominious death of their Lord, had to inspire them with such sudden boldness?

Some stir must have been made before the body of Jesus could have been stolen away. The seal must have been broken, and the great stone rolled away. We may suppose this would have been quite a task, for the stone was placed at the door of the sepulchre, and the seal put upon it, to secure the body against all such depredations. The seal must be broken, and the stone rolled away, and the body of Jesus taken from the fearful spot, and not a single soldier be aroused from his slumbers.

Not only so. The disciples must have gone very deliberately about the matter-altogether unlike the haste with which thieves are accustomed to do up their work. That linen cloth, which had been wound around the body with about one hundred pounds of alloes and myrrh, causing it to adhere to the skin almost like the skin itself, was found carefully rolled up, and laid away in a part of the sepulchre. The labor of unwinding that cloth would certainly have required more than a single night, and how unfavorable was a dark sepulchre for the accomplishment of such a work; and then why should they wish to rid the body of those bandages at all. Had they stolen him away they would, undoubtedly, have hurried him from the sepulchre to some unfrequented spot, as soon as possible. The sepulchre, certainly bears no marks of the ravages of thieves.

A vast accumulation of moral evidence, goes also to corroborate the proofs already given, of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. A few days after the event had taken place, they boldly proclaim the fact at Jerusalem, where, had it

been possible, they would certainly have been convicted of falsehood.

If Christ did not arise from the dead, then the apostles were guilty of the grossest falsehood. Thus reasons Paul: "If Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain: yea, and we are found false witnesses before God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ." It follows, therefore, that the apostles practised base deception, for the purpose of giving authority to the best of teachings; and that that system which has done more than any other to reform the world from all sin, and to elevate the human character, is itself founded upon a lie.

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And what adequate motives had such false witnesses, as we must suppose they were, if Christ did not arise, for persevering in their work of reform? We hear Paul say:"If, in this life only, we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable;" and again, hear him refer to the sad rewards received by himself and companions, for preaching a risen Saviour:-"Even unto this present hour we both hunger and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling place; and labor, working with our own hands; being reviled we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it; being defamed, we entreat; we are made as the filth of the earth, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day." Such were the sufferings to which the apostles were exposed, for preaching Christ, and as an offset for which they had no earthly reward.

If deception had been practiced by them, neither the warm contentions amongst themselves, on other points, nor the fear of tribunals, whipping, imprisonment, nor death