space of forty days appeared to various Disciples, and at last ascended to heaven in the presence of five hundred brethren at once ? Some of his Disciples, at least, were incredulous enough : Thomas would not believe unless he should put his hand into the print of the nails in his hands and in his feet, and thrust his hand into his side : How came he and all the rest to be persuaded ? and how came they to attest the resur- rection of Jesus at the peril of their lives, yea, and to lay down their lives in support of that testimony ? If thou canst believe that these things were done in support of a direct falsehood, from which they themselves could derive no imaginary benefit, thou believest what is infinitely more incredible than the very fiict which thou deniest. Thou mayest condemn credulity in others : but thou thyself art the most credulous of all thy fellows. Inspect the tomb of Jesus, and view it with any mea- sure of candour, and thou canst no more doubt his resurrection than any other fact in the Bible: and, believing that, thou must believe all which either Prophets or Apostles have said concerning him.]
2. The humble seeker of a crucified Saviour —
[To thee I will say, as the angel did to the women, " Fear not thou, for thou seekest Jesus who was crucified." The Roman soldiers, who guarded the tomb, had ground enough to fear. The earthquake might well appal tliem : and the bright angel strike them dead with terror. But nothing hast thou to fear : for the Saviour, even that " Lord, who lay" in the grave and is risen, is thy Friend, thy Forerunner, thine Advocate and Intercessor. He is gone " to appear in the presence of God for thee^:" and has thereby given thee an assurance, that " he is able to save to the uttermost all who
come unto God by him^"
Moreover, when thou reflectest on the state to which he is risen, thou mayest well have comfort in the prospect of thine own death ; for thou thyself shalt rise, like him, and partake of that very glory which he himself possesses. " If we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also that sleep in Jesus will God bring with him^." To thee, even the most violent death is but a sleeper and in the morning of the resur- rection thou shalt awake, and " be caught up to meet thy Lord in the air : and then shalt thou be ever with the Lord." Ye drooping saints, who are either lamenting the departure of others, or trembling at the prospect of your own, dry up your tears, and " comfort one another with these words'^" — ]
y Heb. ix. 24. ^ Heb. vii. 25. ^ 1 Thess. iv. 14.
b Acts vii. GO. c 1 Thess. iv. 13—18.
1415.] THE apostles' COMMISSION. 617