ページの画像
PDF
ePub
[ocr errors]

being in a trance in the temple at Jerufalem, he saw Christ and talked with him. Whether St. Paul in this trance was taken up into heaven, as mentioned above, and fo this was the fame thing; tho' this is not unlikely, yet, as it is not declared to be the fame, we will confider it as if it were not fo. What it is to be in a trance, may, perhaps, be inconceivable to all thofe who have never been trancified. However, when things are faid to be feen by one in a trance, I think, one or other of these must be the cafe, viz. either the material objects must be brought before, and be seen by the bodily eyes of the perfon trancified, or else the images of these must (some how or other) be prefented to, and be pictured on his mind, exclusive of fuch external appearances, the latter of which feems to be the cafe. For, when St. Peter was in a trance, Acts x. it is not to be fuppofed that a material sheet, knit at the four corners, containing in it all manner of four-footed beafts, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air, was then let down from heaven upon the top of the house where Peter was praying; because such a collection of living creatures was not necessary, as the images of these be

ing pictured upon the mind, was fufficient for the then present purpofe. And if St. Paul, when in a trance, did not fee Chrift's material body, but only the image of it was pictured upon his mind; then, neither from this inftance can be be a proper evidence of the refurrection of Chrift. And, fuppofing St. Paul did fee Chrift's material body; yet, as it may well be prefumed the body in which Chrift appears, as feated on God's right hand, is greatly glorified, and thereby makes a greatly different appearance from what it did both before and after his crucifixion, whilst he was upon earth; fo, St. Paul's feeing Chrift's glorified body, could not make him a proper judge of the identity or fameness of that body with the body which had been crucified, and therefore he could not be a proper evidence of the truth of Chrift's refurrection. This, I fay, feems to be the cafe, except we fuppofe Chrift to have shifted his bodily or external form, as men shift their apparel; fometimes appearing in a glorified, and at other times in an unglorified body. Befides, as Chrift is af cended into heaven, and feated at the right hand of God; fo, I apprehend, he is there to remain until he comes again to judge the world,

Bb 3

[ocr errors]

world, and which is therefore called his fecond coming and not that he has, or is to defcend in the mean time, to work the converfion of St. Paul, or upon. any other errand. Upon the whole, I think, it appears, that St. Paul's evidence to prove the truth and certainty of Christ's resurrection can be but of little weight. As to the other fupernumerary witneffes, viz. that Chrift was feen of above five hundred brethren at once, this account feems greatly to exceed the bounds of credit. Suppofe it should be recorded, in fome hiftory, that, about forty years ago, the French invaded, and attempted to make themfelves mafters of the Isle of Wight; and that the Inhabitants of that ifle affembled themselves together, to the number of one hundred thou Jand men, and forced the French to reand fuppofe, when the Ifle of Wight is fulleft of inhabitants, they never exceed forty thousand men; then, the forementioned piece of history would be fo very extravagant as to be paft belief, and that no authority, even that of an angel from heaven, would be fufficient to fupport it's credit. In like manner, fuppofe the difciples and friends of Chrift, who went up with him to Jeru

treat;

falem,

falem, to keep the Passover, who attended him in his fufferings, to whom he appeared after his refurrection, was with him at his afcenfion, and who, by his direction, tarried at Jerufalem, waiting for the promise of the father, do not appear, from the hiftories, to be above twenty, or, perhaps, at the utmost, not more than twenty-five; then, St. Paul's account of Chrift's being seen by above five hundred at once, is sò very extravagant, that not any authority, even that of St. Paul, would be sufficient to support it's credit: and that twenty-five is the greatest number that can be fairly fuppofed, in the prefent cafe, is, I think, fufficiently juftified by the hiftories themselves, which have given an account of this affair and of which the history of the Acts of the Apostles is very particular. For, when the author of that history (As i.) had given an account of the afcenfion of Chrift, and of the return of the difciples from mount Olivet to Jerusalem, and of their going into an upper room, he then gives a particular account who thofe difciples and friends of Chrift were ; viz.the eleven, whom he mentioned by name, who (faid he) continued (or remained a distinct body or society from the rest of the people

Bb 4

;

[ocr errors]

people in Jerusalem) with one accord, (or by mutual confent and agreement) in prayer and fupplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jefus, and his brethren; these were that body of disciples and friends who attended Chrift in the exercife of his miniftry, who went up with him to Jerufalem at the feaft, who attended him in his fufferings, and to whom he appeared (or fome of them at leaft) after his refurrection. And thefe, I think, it may fairly be prefumed, were all that body of difciples and friends of Christ, who waited at Jerufalem until they were endowed with power from on high; for, as to the rest of the Jews who went up to Jerufalem to keep the passover, they may fairly be prefumed to have returned home, when the feast was over, whether we confider them to have been believers in Chrift, or not; feeing his crucifixion had put an end to all their farther expectations with respect to him; and tho' Chrift was rifen from the dead, yet he had appeared to none but those select friends before-mentioned, according to the accounts which all the historians have given, touching this matter. I am fenfible, that, in St. Luke's gofpel, chap. x. we have an account of feventy disciples,

« 前へ次へ »