SERM.

Thirdly, That he took care at these several I. Appearances to give them fufficient Demonftration and Affurance, that he did not appear

in Spirit only, but that he was the fame Jefus, Soul and Body, which died upon the Crofs.

First, Let me obferve that our Saviour appeared and was feen alive after his Crucifixion, not only once or twice, but at feveral diftinct and different Times. And for many of these Appearances we need not go any further back, than to the Entrance of the Apoftle upon the Discourse from whence I have taken my Text; where St Paul, after the Mention of his Death and Burial, recounts them up in this Order following. I delivered unto you first of all, that which I also received, how that Christ died for our Sins according to the Scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he rofe again the third Day according to the Scriptures; and that he was feen of Cephas—then of the twelve-after that he was feen of above FIVE HUNDRED Brethren at once, of which the GREATER PART remain unto this prefent, but fome are fallen afleep:-After that he was feen of James-Then, of all the Apostles-And laft of all he was feen of me alfo, as of one born

out

I.

out of due Time, ver. 3-8. Now here we SER M. have an Account of no lefs than fix different Appearances of our Bleffed Lord to his Difciples; and yet thefe are not above half the Number of what the whole New Teftament records: For befides these recounted by St Paul, we have as many more fet down in the Gospels, and in the Acts of the Apostles. Where, befides the Defcription of the awful Manner in which he arofe, and the Testimony and Witness of the Angels that he was rifen; befides the Proof of the Sepulchre's being found empty wherein he was laid, and the Linnen Clothes wherein he had been wrapped, folded up and left be hind; befides the Depofitions of the Watch themselves that kept the Sepulchre, who at firft declared to the Chief Priest and Elders, all the Things that were done; Matth. xxviii. 2, &c. Befides thefe corroborating Circumstances and Proofs, we have many other pofitive Witneffes (and standing to their Evidence) different from those mentioned by St Paul, who faw him. alive at feveral Times after his Burial. As firft Mary Magdalen to whom he appeared first of all, early in the Morning on which he arofe, and very foon after he was rifen: Immediately after this, Mary Magdalen again, and the

other

SERM. other Women, who had been at the Sepulchre I. in order to anoint him, whom Jefus met as

they returned from thence, and fuffered them to hold him by his Feet and worship him: The fame Day again, the two Difciples going to Emmaus, to whom he opened the Scriptures, and whofe Hearts he made to burn with his Difcourfes, and of whom he was known by breaking of Bread: Once more on the Evening of the self-fame Day, we have the Testimony of ten of the twelve Apoftles (Judas being fallen, and Thomas absent) to whom he came in, the Doors being fhut, fhewed them his Hands, his Feet, and his Side, called for Meat and eat before them, and convinced them that it was himself and not a Spirit. The Appearance to the twelve again eight Days afterwards, (when Thomas was with them, and felt and searched his several Wounds) is one of those which St Paul is understood to mention. But we are told by St John, that after thefe Things Jefus fhewed himself to seven of his Difciples at the Sea of Tiberias, where, though at first they knew him not, yet he foon difcovered who he was by the ufual Token of a beneficial Miracle. His Appearance to the eleven Disciples in Galilee (upon Mount Tabor as is fuppofed) is generally

1.

generally taken to have been the fame with SER M. that great and folemn one which St Paul mentions, as made to above five hundred Brethren at once; and therefore I fhall not reckon it up as a diftinct and different one: And perhaps too, that Appearance which St Paul says he made to all the Apoftles, might be the fame with that which he vouchsafed upon the very Day of his Afcenfion, when he appeared to them upon Mount Olivet, and afcended before them. However, we fee that befides the fix Appearances which St Paul reckons up, here are five others in the Evangelists certainly distinct from any of those; to which we may add, the Vifion which St Stephen had of him from Heaven, where he faw him ftanding at the Right-Hand of God. So that we have full and direct Proof of his being feen alive no lefs than twelve feveral Times after his Death. And a great many Times more he might probably appear, though not diftinctly recorded. For St Luke tells us, Acts i. 3. he fhewed himself alive after his Paffion by MANY infallible Proofs, being feen FORTY Days, and fpeaking of the Things pertaining to the Kingdom of God. However, fhould we fuppofe that thofe Appearances we have mentioned were all; yet thefe will be allowed to

have

SER M. have been fufficient in Number to give them I. Opportunity of discovering any Imposture, or Cheat, had there been one; especially when we confider,

Secondly, That feveral of these Appearances were made not only to one or two at a Time, upon a fudden or furprize, but to Numbers at once, affembled together to know the Truth, and beforehand prepared and warned to expect him. Should any therefore object to the Testimony of Mary Magdalen, or to thofe of Cephas, of James, of Stephen, or St Paul, as being only the Teftimonies of fingle Witneffes, who faw him, feparately when they were alone, and fo might eafily be deluded through their Apprehenfions or Fears; fhould they except again to the Evidence of Mary Magdalen and the other Women together, as being the Evidence of Perfons naturally credulous and eafy of Belief; there still remains the united Evidence, not only of the two that were going to Emmaus, but of the feven Difciples at the Sea of Galilee, of the ten Apoftles at one Time, and of the eleven at another, and at laft of above five hundred People who all faw him at once, after due Notice given them beforehand, and at a Place where they affembled on purpose to meet him.

Now