cefs in their ministry. To suppose that twelve indigent and illiterate men, in their own ftrength, with out any civil or ecclefiaftical power, or any popular influence, would attempt to bring in a new religion among a people, founded in the name and power of a poor, defpifed Galilean, whom they had juft before put to death, under the accufation of blafphemy; and to do this, in oppofition to all the power, wealth, learning, pride, prejudices and paffions of mankind, is the most extravagant chimera, that ever entered into the head or heart of man! No men endowed with common fense and feelings would have ventured on fuch a task, unless, they pofitively knew, that the Saviour they preached, was a living and AlAÍmighty Saviour. The whole depended on the certainty of Chrift's refurrection: If he was not rifen they could not hope in him; and, without him, they could do nothing. They could not have introduced the gofpel fyftem, to the overthrow of the Mofaic difpenfation, and heathen idolatry, except the things they teftified of Jefus were true. Men would not have renounced the religion of their fathers, for another, more ftrict and felf-denying, unlefs they had ftrong proof of its truth and divinity. than 250 were then alive at the time of his writing. Corinth was full of Jews, who, by their cabals and riotous behaviour, had, fome time before, obliged the apoftle to quit the city. They hated Chriftianity and the apoftle, and would, doubtlefs, examine his letter with feverity; and ruin him and his cause if they could. This was an appeal to his enemies; and, certainly, he had too much fenfe, to give them an opportu nity to convict him of lying, out of his own letter. As his appeal was made to more than 250 living witneffes, and in the prefence of his enemies, it was cafy to convict him of falsehood, and it would have been done, had not his appeal been well founded. Such evidence must strike the mind of every honeft man with irrefiftible force. Accordingly, the apoftles had fuccefs in their preaching, notwithftanding their enemies had all the power, wealth, learning, religious habits and prejudices on their fide. Upon fuch public evidence and fuch public appeals, they entered on their misfion; and through the aids of the Holy Spirit, they had fuccefs against all oppofition.-This shows they had no mind to deceive; and, as they appealed to a cloud of witneffes, both friends and enemies, they could not have done it. Í obferve once more, the apof cafe of Chrift's refurrection; otherwife, they muft have acted as other impoftors, and confulted their own perfonal or family emolument, fuch as focial comforts, honors and The facts, on which the gofpel fyftem is founded, were pub-tles had no mind to deceive in the lic; and the apoftles conftantly appealed to the Jews for the truth of them, even of the refurrection of Chrift. St. Paul, in his firft epiftle to the Corinthians, not only afferts this doctrine, but af-worldly gain.-But it does not firms, that Chrift was repeatedly appear they had any motive of feen of his apoftles and others af- this kind, even admitting their ter his refurrection; and at one teftimony to be true; and much time, of above five hundred, of lefs, if falfe. There was no popwhom, the greater part, i. e. moreularity to be expected, for a few indigent and ignorant fishermen, | by preaching a defpifed and crucified Saviour; and a fyftem of religion, mortifying to all the natural paffions and affections of foul and body-a religion, which condemns the lufts of the flesh, the luft of the eye, and pride of life; and dooms to endless perdition all unbelievers. Impoftors, without learning, power and authority, would never have taken fuch a method to obtain popularity, honors and riches. It is the reverfe of all worldly wifdom; and contrary to the known practice of all deceivers. It is the direct way to shame, pain and forrow, poverty and death. Accordingly, Chrift taught his apostles, and indeed all his difciples, that they muft leave all for his fake, and look to the rewards of another world for their recompence. He warned them, that for his fake they should be hated of the world, perfecuted, imprifoned, fcourged and killed. And, of the truth of thefe they could not doubt, for, before his crucifixion, they had often experienced the contempt, hatred and malice of the Jews; and well knew, that they who had called the mafter of the houfe Beelzebub, and killed him, would not fpare his followers. Such was the cafe, even admitting the truth of their teftimony; but if that was not true, no reasonable motive of action can be affigned. They were fure to meet with fhame, poverty and death in this world, and had no hope of any recompence in the world to come. No men, in their Aenfes, will act thus in fupport of what they know, or have reafon to believe a falfehood. The confequence therefore, irrefiftably forces itself upon us, that the Apoftles were honest men, that they actually knew Jefus Christ was rifen from the dead, and believed that he would direct and profper them according to his word. All their miniftry, all their hope for time and eternity depended on the truth of Christ's resurrection. Upon this they ventured every thing, and gave up all for the fake of Chrift, not counting their own lives dear, fo they might win him and his righteoufnefs. Notwithstanding all oppofition and every difcouragement, the Apoitles went forth boldly, preaching Chrift, and falvation by him alone. Knowing he was alive from the dead, they believed in his promifed aid, and with great power witneffed his refurrection. They were both the recipients and active inftruments of miracuious operations; and, hereby, proved their divine miffion and authority. In affurance of this, they entered on their miffion; and fpent their whole time in publifhing the glad tidings of the gofpel, without a profpect of worldly gain. They attacked the numerous fuperftitions and traditions of the elders-affirmed that Chrift, whom they had crucified, was the Lord of Life, and only Saviour of loft men-called on them to repent of their fins, and believe on him for falvation, appealing to themselves for the truth of the facts which they teftified of Jefus ; and finally denounced damnation on all who fhould continue in impenitency and unbelief. In a word, through the evident operations of the Holy Spirit, and in virtue of their divine miffion, they attacked and overturned the Jewifh economy, and the idolatrous worship of molt of the heathen world. In thefe labors, the Apostles gained neither popularity, honors, or riches; but that the work | men, after the witneffes are dead. might stand in the power of God, Let us not reject the teftimony of and not of men, they paffed thro' others, like Thomas, till we shall fiery trials and cruel mocking, fee Jefus with our eyes-Blessed. both from Jews. and Gentiles. are they that have not seen, and yet And finally, moft, if not all of have believed. them fealed their teftimony of Jefus by a violent death, and thus drank of the cup of their mafter. These things fhow that the Apof. tles were neither deceived nor deceivers: We must therefore receive the doctrine of the refurrection of Jefus Chrift, as an establifhed fact. It was observed in the begin ning of this Effay, that on the truth of the refurrection of Jefus Chrift, depends the use of the means of falvation and the refurrection of the dead. If Chrift be rifen, then our dead bodies muit and will arife: So faid the Apoftle, "If it be preached that he rofe from the dead, how say some among you, there is no refurrec tion of the dead." The refur. The enemies of the crofs have made many objections to the teftimony of the Apoftles; moft of them are frivolous and abfurd ca-rection of Chrift was a pledge of vils, totally unworthy of notice. I do not, at prefent, recollect any objection of confequence, to the above reasoning, unless it be this cant phrase of modern deifm, viz. "That all this teftimony is an after-game-a mere farce, trumped up by bigoted and defigning priests." the refurrection of our bodies: He was the firft fruits of them that lept. For, fince by man came. death, by man alfo came the refurrec tion of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even fo in Chrift fball all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Chrift the first fruits; afterwards they that are Chrif's. at his coming. The refurrection of Chrift is an affurance of the refurrection of all men, but efpecially of his faints; they fhall arife to glory and immortality, As the firft fruits, under the law, were a pledge of the future har veft, fo the refurrection of Chrift was an earnest of their refurrec tion: If the head be raised, the members will affuredly follow. The church of Chrift was virtually raised with him; and will ac As it is not fuppofable that Jewish or heathen idolatrous priests would trump up such a system against themselves, we muft conclude they mean Chriftian priefts. This being the cafe, it is abundantly fufficient to mention their objection, and pafs it in filence, until they will be pleased to show how there could have been Chriftian priefts, before Chriftianity commenced-who they werewhere they lived-where they met-and when they wrote.tually follow in their order. And When they will honeftly anfwer thefe queries, we will attend to them. The death and refurrection of Chrift are facts as well attefted, as any other facts in hiftory of equal diftance of time. They have all the proof that any fact can have from the testimony of as affurance of this, we read, that the graves were opened, and many bodies of the faints which flept arofe, and came out of the graves after his refurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. This teaches us that Jefus Chrift is, in deed, the refurrection and the life. And from what he has done, we arife to condemnation. And their union to their bodies will doubtlefs increase their misery. may fafely argue to what he will do; and be affured, that the hour is coming, in the which all that are in their graves fball hear his voice and come forth; they that have done good unto the refurre&ion of life, and they that have done evil untory nerve to difprove the bible, and the refurrection of damnation. Surely it is not strange, that the fophifts of this world, and obftinate finners, are exerting eve efpecially the doctrine of the refurrection of Jefus Christ. For if that be true, they well know the bible must be true, and that a day of judgment will come';a day of unutterable woe and mif This doctrine of Chrift's refurrection, is a doctrine of comfort to believers. They look forward to the time when their bodies fhall put on incorruption, and their mortal, immortality; and be fafh-ery to them.-But, the evidence ioned like his glorious body. of the refurrection of Chrift is ftrong and conclufive, as has been fhewn. It has fupported the doctrine, for almost 1800 years, against all the art and sophistry of wicked men; and never can be overfet, while the teftimony of man has weight with men. How fhould thefe confiderations excite all of us to the dili tion? We have now an opportu nity to prepare for the refurrection of life. Bleed be the God and Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, who, according to his abundant mercy, hath begotten us again unto a lively hope, by the refurrection of Jefus Chrift from the dead. In him, we look for new heavens and a new earth-In him, we look forward to eternal rewards, or endless punishments, according to the deeds done in the body. The meeting of righteous fouls with their bodies, will be a glorious meeting! How happy will they be to meet their bodies, delivered from the bondage of corruption, into the liberty of the fons of God! How will the foul rejoice, to be reunited to that tongue, which used to exprefs its delight in God, and fing the praif-gent use of the means of falvaes of redeeming love-to thofe hands, which used to be raised, in adoration and fupplication to the Supreme Being, and extended in charity to man-to those eyes and ears, which were once opened to the word of life-to thofe knees, which often bowed before the throne of grace-and to thofe feet that weekly bore the foul to the house of God? I fay, how inexpreffibly happy will be the foul and body, when they fhall again be united at the refurrection, never more to part; but mutually to enjoy, love and worfhip the triune God forever and ever! Let the righteous take comfort in the promises of Chrift; and wait patiently for his coming, with affurance, that when he, who is the refurrection and the life, fhall appear, they fhall be like This confideration gives a reafonable ground for the ufe of means; our preaching is not vain in the Lord. An eternity, my readers, an eternity of happiness or mifery will follow upon this life; our good or evil improvement of time and the means of falvation, will determine our portion. In this life, and in this only, we have opportunity to fecure But how different will be the a part in the refurrection of the case with the wicked! They will' juft. This renders the wife and him. events. Omitting remarks refpecting the date of the book, this fubject is introduced for the purpose of submitting the follow diligent ufe of appointed means, infinitely important to every fon and daughter of Adam. Let us then strive to know Chrift, and the power of his refurrection-ing queftion to the candid confiLet us be ftedfast, unmoveable, deration of your learned readers, always abounding in the work of whether it be abfurd, and contrathe Lord; forafmuch as we know ry to fcripture precedent, to fupthat our labor is not in vain in the pofe the Revelation written in the reign of Domitian, and yet apply the vifion of the white horfe and his rider, to Vefpafian and Titus? According to which it Lord. ISRAEL. On the eleventh chapter of the Re- would be the representation of velation. MESS'RS EDITORS, Some of your readers having expreffed a particular defire to fee an expofition of the 11th chapter of the Revelation, I send you the following, which if you judge worthy, you will pleafe to give a place in your excellent Magazine. PART I. REVIOUS to the propofed an event which exifted thirty or forty years, before it was exhibited in the vision. On this fubject let only fcripture example be confulted. The prophet Daniel had a vifion, chap. 7. of four beafts; the firft of which is interpreted to fignify the Babylonish empire, but this vifion was in the reign of Belshazzar, the laft of its kings, and in whofe reign that empire was fubdued. The events which general introductory remarks up-muft confequently, have generally on the prophecy contained in the Revelation. The compofition of this book is univerfally afcribed to the apostle John; but chronologers disagree about the date of it. Some fuppofe it was written in the reign of Domitian, the Roman emperor. Bifhop Newton gives it an earlier date, fuppofing it to have been written in the reign of Nero, that he might confiftently apply the opening of the firft feal, or the vifion of the white horfe and his victorious rider, to the Roman emperors, Vefpafian and Titus, with particular reference to their conqueft of Judea; fuppofing it would have been abfurd to make this application, if he admitted, that it was written in the reign of Domitian, as this would make it an hiftory of paft, rather than a prophecy of future exifted a longer space of time be fore the prophet had this vifion, than Vefpafian and Titus lived be fore Domitian. Befides, the rapidity and extent of conqueft, or that elevated ftate represented by the eagle's wings which the lion had, was not effected by Belshaz zar, a luxurious and effcminate prince; but by his great progenitor, Nebuchadnezzar. So the apoftle had a vision, chap. 12, of a great red dragon, and chap. 13. of a beaft coming up out of the fea, which vifions are interpreted to denote the Roman empire. But if this beaft which the apoftle faw, having feven heads and ten horns, reprefented the Roman empire, with the different forms of government under which it had fubfifted, from the first commencement of it, of which it is faid, five |