gate the delusion, and either fabricated the story of our Lord's resurrection with all its circumstances, or entered into the views of some new deceiver who had the resolution to personate Jesus after his crucifixion. Whence then was it that this deceit obtained the testimony of the Holy Spirit? The concurrent testimony of the apostles themselves and the Holy Spirit, form the evidence of our Lord's resurrection. "He “shall testify of.me," said our Lord before he suffered," and "and ye also shall bear wit"ness." That notable miracles were done

by the apostles in the name of the Lord Jesus was so manifest to all them that dwelt in Jerusalem, that the bitterest enemies of their doctrine could not deny it; nor was it ever denied by the infidels of antiquity. On the contrary, their attempt to account for it by the power of magic, is a confession of the fact; and while the

fact is confessed, the conclusion from the fact is obvious and inevitable. To refer the miracles, which were wrought in confirmation of a doctrine which went to the extirpation of every corruption in morals and in worship, and to the establishment of a practical religion of good works springing from an active faith, to the spirit of delusion, is a subterfuge for infidelity which that spirit only could suggest.

I have now briefly, indeed, and in a summary way, but more particularly than I thought to do, laid before you the irrefragable and permanent nature of the testimony by which the fact of our Lord's resurrection is supported. It is my intention to discuss a certain objection to this evidence, as the evidence is stated in my text, which must be allowed to be very plausible in the first appearance of it. I mean to shew, that it is the necessary con

sequence of certain circumstances, which indispensably require that the evidence of the resurrection should be just what it is; insomuch that the proof would be rather weakened than improved by any attempt to complete it in the part in which it is supposed to be deficient. But this I shall reserve for future discourses. Meanwhile you will remember, that the entire evidence of our Lord's resurrection consists of two parts; the testimony of the apostles, and the testimony of the Spirit. The testimony of the apostles is the most complete that human testimony ever was; the testimony of the Spirit is unexceptionable. The fact therefore is established. So certain as it is that Christ died, so certain it is that he is risen. He died for our sins, he is risen for our justification. And remember, that the only purpose for which Christ died and rose again was, that we,

enlightened by his doctrine, edified by his example, encouraged with the certain hope of mercy, animated by the prospect of eternal glory, “ may rise from the death "of sin unto the life of righteousness."

K

1

SERMON II.

ACTS x. 40, 41.

"Him God raised up the third day, and "shewed him openly; not to all the

people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God."

THE return of the season devoted by the church to the solemn commemoration of our Lord's glorious resurrection seemed to admonish us, that we should direct our attention to the evidence by which the merciful providence of God was pleased to confirm so extraordinary a fact. The entire evidence consists of two branches :