sepulchre until the third day, Matt. 27: 63. At the sepulchre the angels reminded the disciples of Christ's prediction, that he should rise the third day, Luke 24: 5, 9. Had they borne this in mind it would have prevented their distress during the time Jesus lay in the tomb, Luke 24: 21. Christ's resurrection on the third day formed an important part of apostolic preaching, Luke 24: 46–48. comp. Acts 10: 39-43. 1 Cor. 15: 3, 4. See also Acts 2, and 13, and Hosea 6: 1, 2, with remarks made on these texts in the Universalist Magazine, vol. viii. p. 22.

3d. The resurrection of Christ from the dead was of the last importance in obtaining the object of his mission, the salvation of the world. God, by raising him from the dead, gave assurance unto all men, that by him he was about to judge or govern the world in righteousness, Acts 17:31. Without it, repentance and remission of sins could not have been preached to the nations, Luke 24: 46, 47. In raising him from the dead, God testified his good pleasure in the work he had accomplished, and made him Lord of all, Lord both of the dead and living: see Acts 10: 36. 2:36. Rom. 14: 9. Phil. 2: 9-12. Christ's mission completely failed, if the salvation of the world was not accomplished; and his rising from the dead was absolutely necessary to its accomplishment.

4th. The resurrection of Christ from the dead is of the utmost importance to man for hope of future life and happiness. Christ is the first fruits of them that sleep, his resurrection is both the example and pledge of ours. He hath "abolished death and brought life and incorruption to light through the gospel," 2 Tim. 1: 10. Not a life for the soul in a disembodied state, but a life of incorruption and glory in being raised again from the dead. It is

shown by his resurrection, that there is a power superior to death, and a pledge is given us, that death shall finally be swallowed up in victory. He shall reign until all his enemies are put under him, and death the last enemy is destroyed. Hence

Christ says, Rev. 1: 18—“I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold I am alive forevermore, amen: and have the keys of hell, hades, and of death;" or have power over them, for a key is the symbol of power. But the importance of Christ's resurrection to man, will best appear, by noticing the consequences Paul says must ensue, if it is not true. In 1 Cor. 15, he discusses the doctrine of the resurrection against some who denied it, and says-1st, "But if there be no resurrection of the dead then is Christ not risen," verse 13. He adds verses 16, 18, for if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised. Then they also who are fallen asleep in Christ are perished." Paul's doctrine here is, if Christ is not risen from the dead, men perish like the brutes; all is lost. But how could Paul say so, if it is true men have immortal souls which live in a disembodied state? If their souls are immortal, they could not perish, allowing Christ had slept an endless sleep in the grave.

2d. And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain," verse 14. Here Paul adverts to two consequences in one brief sentence; the vain useless nature of preaching, and the vain nature of people's believing, if Christ was not risen from the dead. This is what is meant by believing in vain, verse 2. The apostle adds, verse 17, "and if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain." Their faith was vain, not as some say, because they had not believed in a right manner, but because what they believed was not true, if so be that Christ was not raised.

3d. "Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not," verse 13. Here again, Paul predicates the resurrection of man on the certainty of Christ's resurrection; and allows, that the apostles were false witnesses, and that of the worst possible kind if he was not risen, for they were false witnesses of God, in testifying that he raised up Christ whom he raised not up.

4th. "And if Christ be not raised-ye are yet in your sins," verse 17. If Christ was not risen, they were yet dead in their sins, Col. 2: 13; still under their power and dominion, Rom. 6. And why? Because their faith was vain; they had believed nothing which could make them free from sin, and stimulate them to a holy life.

5th. "They also who had fallen asleep in Christ are perished," verse 18. If Christ was not risen, all future life was forever at an end, to the dead as well as the living. Those who had fallen asleep in Christ are perished, and none need expect a better fate.

6th. The apostle adds-" if in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable," verse 19. Paul here shows, that it was the hope Christians had beyond this life, which sup ported them under all the afflictions they suffered. But if Christ was not risen, they only could have hope in this life, and consequently none beyond it. This shows Paul had no faith in the immortality of the soul, or its existence in a disembodied state. If he had, he would have had hope beyond this life if Christ had never risen, for it is impossible an immortal soul can ever die. Such are the consequences which Paul says must have followed, if Christ had not risen from the dead. Every reader must

perceive the vast importance of this fact to the chilIf it fails, all hope of life beyond

dren of men.

death, is an idle dream.

4th. We shall now briefly advert to the moral tendency of Christ's resurrection on the world. When the apostles began to preach his resurrection from the dead, the whole world lay in wickedness, 1 John 5: 19. So wicked, had even the Jewish nation become, that the name of God was blasphemed among the Gentiles through them, Rom. ch. 1, 2. Various expedients had been tried to cure the world of vice and crime, but all of them had proved, like attacking the leviathan with a straw. But when the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe, 1 Cor. 1: 21. Two questions here demand some attention.

1st. Save them from what? Many people will answer-save them from endless hell torments. But if the reader will have the candor to examine, he will find that the book of Acts, which contains the history of the apostles' preaching for thirty years, does not say one word about hell, or salvation from it, either to Jew or Gentile. In my First Inquiry we think it is shown, that God never threatened men with such a punishment. Christ's salvation is to save men from their sins, from idolatry, ignorance of God, and at last from death and the grave, as could be easily shown were it necessary.

2d. Saved by what? Was it by preaching endless hell torments? No, this doctrine the apostles never preached. It had been long taught in the heathen fables, but without producing good morals among them. Was it then by preaching mere morals? No; this had also been tried both among Jews and Gentiles, until good morals had nearly become extinct among men. What, then, did the apostles preach?

I answer, Jesus Christ and him crucified; that he died for our sins, and rose again from the dead; they also preached through him the resurrection from the dead. See the following specimens of apostolic preaching: 1 Cor. 2: 1-3. 15: 1-5. Acts 2: 1441. 13: 38, 39. 17: 16-34, and ch. 26. It was not for want of preaching good morals that the world was so wicked, for Seneca and others had taught good morals. No; it was for want of an adequate motive to stimulate men to live a holy life, which all the wisdom of this world never could have supplied. This was effected by the gospel of Jesus Christ. What, then, was this motive? I answer, the certain hope of an immortal life, by being raised again from the dead. Of this the heathen had no hope, but were living without God, and without hope in the world, Eph. 2: 12. Hence, at the death of their relatives, they sorrowed without hope, 1 Thes. 4: 13-18. A resurrection from the dead was deemed incredible, and was mocked at when Paul preached it at Athens, Acts 26: 8. 17: 32. Until a man has the hope of the resurrection from the dead, he has no sufficient inducement to live a holy life, but rather to say "let us eat and drink for tomorrow we die." Faith in Jesus' death and resurrection from the dead, gives hope to man, that God who raised up Jesus will also raise him up by his own power, 2 Cor. 4: 14. 1 Cor. 6: 14. The heathen had their hopes of going to the elysian fields, and their fears about going to tartarus, or hell after death. But neither the fear of the one, nor the hope of the other had much influence in leading them to holiness. And why? Because the whole of it was mere fiction and fancy. But Christ's resurrection from the dead is a plain, palpable fact. In it God's mighty power is displayed, and life and incorruption brought to light. But for it, we never could have