spear, pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.

And, secondly, as for his being alive after; the Jews, who set a guard upon his sepulchre, on purpose to prevent his being stolen away, and the pretence of his resurrection, which they were afraid his disciples had designed to raise thereupon, yet could not deny but that, in despite of all their care, he was gone out of the sepulchre, and what was become of him they could not tell. Matt. xxvii. 62, &c. as above. xxviii. 11. Now, when they were going, behold some of the watch came into the city, and shewed unto the chief priests all the things that were done.

PROOFS SUBJOINED.-Matt. xxvii. 50, 59. Jesus, when he had cried with a loud voice, gave up the ghost. And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth. Luke, xxiii. 55. And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid. xxiv. 1, &c. Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus. And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen. xxiv. 19, 20. And he said unto them, What things? and they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God, and all the peo

ple: and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and to be crucified.

7. Q. But what positive witness have you of his being alive after his crucifixion?

b

a

d

A. We have the witness of his apostles; of his * disciples; of above *five hundred persons, who saw him, and conversed with him; and many of whom died for the testimony which they gave unto it: none ever went back from it. We have besides this, the witness of angels: the witness of a persecutor, by this very assurance converted into an apostle. And, lastly, the witness of God himself; who, without all dispute, enabled the first preachers of this very Article to work wonderful miracles in confirmation of it; and thereby, as effectually as could be desired, gave his own evidence to the truth of it. Acts, xiv. 3. Long time, therefore, abode they speaking boldly in the Lord, which gave testimony unto the word of his grace, and granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands.

PROOFS SUBJOINED. 1 Cor. xv. 5, &c. And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve. Luke, xxiv. 37. And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. John, xx. 19, 25, 27, 28. Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut, where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus, and stood in the midst of them. The other disciples, therefore, said unto him, we have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his

side, I will not believe. Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said, My Lord, and my God. Acts, i. 3, 21, 22. To whom also he shewed himself alive after his pas sion, by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning with the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection.

Johu, xx. 12. And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. Acts, ix. 4, 5. And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord. And the Lord said, I am Jesus, whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. xxii. 8. And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.

Acts, ii. 4, 32. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.-This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. iii. 8, 15. And he leaping up, stood and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.-And his name, through faith in his name, hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea the faith, which is by him, hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. iv.

8, 10, 33. Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, if we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole, be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.—And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of Jesus Christ: and great grace was upon them all. v. 12, 15, 31, 32. And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least, the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them.-Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.

8. Q. Why do you add the circumstance of the time of his resurrection, that He rose the third day?

A. To shew that he rose according to the types and prophecies, that had gone before concerning him ; and upon the very day that he himself had foretold he would rise. Jonah, i. 17. ii. 10. Compare Matt. xii. 14. Jon. Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.-And the Lord spake unto the fish; and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land. the dry land. Matt. For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly: so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in

the heart of the earth. Matt. xvi. 21. From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders, and chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. John, ii. 19, 20. Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? But he spake of the temple of his body.

PROOF SUBJOINED.-Acts, x. 49. Him God raised up the third day and shewed him openly.

9. Q. How does it appear that it was the third day on which he rose?

A. He suffered on the sixth day, being our Friday, between nine and three o'clock in the afternoon: "He rose on the first, commonly called our Sunday morning, after; and so was dead part of Friday; all Saturday, and part of Sunday. For the Jews computed the day from the evening; and so Saturday night, six o'clock, the first day of the week, according to them, began.

PROOFS SUBJOINED.- Matt. xxvii. 45. Now, from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. Mark, xv. 25. And it was the third hour, and they crucified him. Luke, xxiii. 44. And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour.

Matt. xxviii. 1. In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. Mark, xvi. 2, 9. And very early in the morning, the first day of the week, they came unto