[It was necessary that our Lord should rise on the third day after his crucifixion. Not only did the period of Jonah's deliverance from the belly of the fish determine the time of Christ's continuance in the grave3, but it was expressly declared by David, that " God's Holy One should not see corruption15," and consequently that he should rise from the dead before the fourth day, when bodies in that hot climate, usually began to corrupt0. Our Lord himself also had said, that, if they should " destroy the temple of his body, he would in three days raise it up again d :" And so frequently had he foretold that he would rise again on the third day, that the prediction was generally known among his enemies, and was indeed the ground of those very precautions which they used to guard the sepulchre, and thereby defeat any conspiracy amongst his followers6. If then he had not risen on the third day, he would have been proved to be a deceiver : and if he had not made his appearance on that day, he would have given such occasion of triumph to his enemies as could scarcely ever have been removed. The absurd report that was circulated by the soldiers respecting his being stolen away while they were sleeping, would have been sanc- tioned; and the difficulty of removing that first impression would have been greatly increased. The Disciples too, who were already disconsolate, and, in their own apprehension, deceived, would have abandoned themselves wholly to despair. To prevent these evil consequences, our blessed Saviour mani- fested himself to Mary " early" on the morning of his resurrec- tion ; yea, at least five times on that very day did he make his appearance to different parties of his Disciples ; first to Mary, then to the other women, then to Peter, then to two Disciples on their way to Emmaus, and then to the eleven who were gathered together. Thus early were his triumphs proclaimed ; and thus seasonably were his Disciples comforted !]
2. Numerous —
[We have already mentioned five appearances on the day of his resurrection. How many he vouchsafed to his Disciples afterwards, we cannot ascertain : for we are sure that they are not all recorded by the Evangelists. St. Paul mentions that Jesus was seen by James, and by five hundred brethren at once ; neither of which appearances are particularly specified in the Gospels. We are told however, that " he was seen of the Disciples forty days ;" which is a clear intimation that his intercourse with them was both frequent and familiar. Now in this he graciously condescended to our weakness. Had his manifestations of himself been very few, we might have been
a Matt. xii. 40. »> Ps. xvi. 10. " John xi. 39.
d John ii. 19—21. e Matt, xxvii. 63— 66.
1460.] Christ's appearance to mary magdalene. 193
ready to fear, that those who testified of his resurrection were either deceivers or deceived. Not even the Apostles them- selves credited the appearance of their Master to Mary, or the other females : the very report was considered by them " as an idle tale." Much more therefore may we expect that his avowed enemies would have disbelieved it ; and we at this dis- tance of time should have had scarcely any foundation for our faith and hope. But the number of his appearances was such as to preclude a possibility of intentional collusion, or uninten- tional mistake.]
3. Indubitable —
[However numerous the appearances had been, if they had been all in dreams or visions, or to separate individuals, or at a distance, there would have been reason to doubt the truth and reality of them. But they were of the most satis- factory kind imaginable. Let it be granted, that Mary Mag- dalene, and the other women, and Peter, and the Disciples going to Emmaus, were deceived ; and that the various con- versations which they had with him were mere impositions on their eyes and ears ; were the eleven deceived, when, not- withstanding the doors were shut, he presented himself in the midst of them, and bade them handle him (to see that he was not a mere spirit, but had flesh and bones, like any other man), and did eat and drink before them? Was the unbe- lieving Thomas deceived, when our Lord bade him put his fingers into the print of the nails, and thrust his hand into the wound that had been made in his side ; and when, in con- sequence of the impossibility of resisting conviction any longer, he exclaimed, " My Lord, and my God?" Were the five hundred brethren, who saw him at once, deceived ; or were they all in a conspiracy to deceive others? Were Peter and the rest deceived, when he told them on which side of the ship to cast their net, and then partook with them of the fish which they had caught? Were they deceived, when, after conversing with him a long time, his Disciples saw him ascend gradually from the midst of them, and taken up into heaven ? Blessed be his name ! he has taken care that so important a truth, on which all our hopes depend, should not rest on any doubtful testimony, but that it should be substantiated by proofs which cannot be denied without subverting all kinds of evidence, and all human testimony whatsoever.]