their attestation; but none of these things can with reason be supposed; they were in all respects more than competently qualified to attest, and all considerable circumstances do assist in confirming their attestation, as by weighing the considerations following may appear.

1. As for their number, it was not one or two persons, (although one or two ordinarily do suffice for decision of the greatest cases among men,) but many who conspired in asserting it. 'He was (saith St. Paul, one who was conversant with these witnesses, who, of a zealous adversary and fierce persecutor of this testimony, did become an earnest avoucher thereof) seen of Cephas, then of the twelve, after he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain unto this present.' And 'this Jesus (say the twelve apostles) hath God raised up, whereof all we are witnesses.' Twelve there were who principally were designed, and did take it for their especial duty to attest this matter; besides many others, who in their order were able and ready to do it.'

2

2. These witnesses were no strangers to Jesus, but persons by long conversation most familiarly acquainted with him; who had (as it is said, and as it was notorious) been with him from the beginning, who went out and in with him all the time (that is, for three years' space) from his baptism to his ascension.3

3. They did aver themselves to be eye or earwitnesses of the matter, as fully informed about it as senses could make them: We cannot but speak

11 Cor. xv. 5, 6.

2 Acts, ii. 14, 32; v. 32; i. 22; x. 39.

3

> John, xv. 27; Acts, i. 21, 22.

Luke, i. 2.

"1

what we have heard and seen.' 'What we did see with our eyes, and what our hands did handle of the word of life, that we report unto you;' so St. John (the beloved disciple, who constantly attended on his dear Master) expresseth his testimony. And, 'We have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and presence of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eye-witnesses of his majesty ;' so St. Peter affirmeth concerning the manner of their testifying these matters. They did, I say, hear and see him, and that with all advantage possible or needful, not once or twice, not in passing or at distance, not in way of glimpse or rumour; but often, for a good time, thoroughly; many days conversing and interchanging discourses with him; 'who (as St. Peter in the name of the rest saith) did eat and drink with him after that he rose from the dead.' And, to whom (as St. Luke, their companion, from their mouth, in our text saith) also he showed himself alive after his passion, by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God;' and 'He was (saith St. Paul, another familiar of theirs) seen many days of them which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses to the people.' And two of these witnesses (St. John and St. Matthew) are in writings extant relaters of passages occurring in their conversation with him, very many, very sensible as can be.

5

4. We may also consider that the chief of these witnesses, the apostles themselves, were at first (as

Acts, iv. 20. 4 Acts, x. 41.

2 1 John, i. 1.
5 Ib. i. 3.

3 2 Pet. i. 16.

6 Ib. xiii. 31.

St. Luke of them and from them confesseth) so far from being easy or credulous in regard to this matter, that hearing it from others, who before had seen our Lord risen, they took it for a trifle or a fiction; and gave no credence thereto: 'their words (saith the text) did seem to them (a toy or) an idle tale, and they believed them not.'1 Yea, some of them would hardly confide in their own eyes, nor would yield assent unto the fact appearing to them, until by letting them touch him, and showing them the marks of his crucifixion remaining on his body, he demonstrated himself to be the very same person who had lived with them and died before them: They were terrified and affrighted, and supposed they had seen a spirit'—' And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered,' &c. are words in the history. 2

5. Upon these grounds, as they professed, they did, without any mincing, hesitancy, or reservation, in the most full, clear, downright, and peremptory manner, with firm confidence and alacrity concurrently aver the fact: They spake the word of God with boldness—and with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.''

Which things being weighed, it will appear impossible, that the attesters of this fact (supposing them in their wits and senses; and certainly they were so, as presently we shall show, and as the thing itself plainly speaks) could not be ignorant therein, or mistaken about it. For if all the senses of so many persons in a matter so grossly sensible, so often

1 Luke, xxiv. 11; Matt. xxviii. 17.

Luke, xxiv. 37, 41; John, xx. 27. 3 Act. iv. 31, 33, xiv. 3.

and for such a continuance of time, can be distrusted; if the apostles could imagine they saw their friend and master, whom they so long had waited upon, when they did not see him; that they heard him making long discourses with them, when they did not hear him; that they did walk, eat and drink with him, did touch, and feel him when there was really no such thing, what assurance can we have of any thing most sensible? what testimony can be of any validity or use? on that hand, therefore, the testimony is impregnable: the witnesses cannot be accounted ignorant, or mistaken in the case; for number, or for ability they cannot be excepted against.

It must be therefore only their seriousness, honesty, or fidelity, that remains questionable in them: they must be said to have wilfully deceived and imposed upon the world; self-condemned hypocrites, impudent liars and egregious impostors they must have been, if their testimony was false; but that they were not such persons, that they could not, and would not do so, there are induce ments to believe, as forcible as can be required, or well imagined in any such case.

I. They were persons, who did (with denunciation of most heavy judgments from God on the contrary practices) preach and press constantly and earnestly all kinds of goodness, veracity, and sincerity, together with humility, modesty, ingenuity, and equity, as main points of that religion, which they by this testimony confirmed. All their discourses plainly breathed a most serious and sprightly goodness and charity toward men, very inconsistent with a base plot to delude them; their doctrine utterly condemned all malice, all falsehood,

craft, and hypocrisy, detruding into the bottomless pit all that love or make a lie:' consider these sayings and rules of theirs: As we have opportunity let us do good unto all men : let your moderation (or equity) be known to all men: show all meekness to all men: laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and evil speakings, as new-born babes desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby. Putting aside all lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour. Lie not one to another, seeing ye have put off the old man with his deeds. Brethren, be not children in understanding; however in malice be ye children; but in understanding be perfect men: such were their precepts discountenancing all malice, and all fraud; propounded in a manner as serious and grave and simple as can be imagined; all the tenor of their doctrine consenting to them wherein also they earnestly declare against and prohibit all vanity of mind, and perverseness of humour, all affectations of novelty and singularity, all peevish factiousness and turbulency, all fond credulity, stupidity, and precipitancy, all instability and giddiness of mind, all such qualities which dispose men, without most sure and evident grounds, either to introduce or to embrace any new conceits, practices, or stories: such was their discourse, nowise sounding like the language of impostors :-deceit could hardly so disguise or so thwart and supplant itself.

2. Their practice was answerable to their doctrine, exemplary in all sorts of virtue, goodness, and sincerity; such indeed whereby they did in effect

Apoc. xxii. 15, xxi. 27; Gal. vi. 10; Phil. iv. 5; Tit. iii. 2; 1 Pet. ii. 1; Eph. iv. 15, 25; Colos. iii. 9; 1 Cor. xiv. 20; Tit. ii. 7, 8.