every poffible method to appease their rage. As this was a tranfaction of a very public nature, carried on in broad day-light, and before a vast multitude of spectators of different nations, the Jews, notwithstanding their prejudices, cannot be fuppofed to have denied it.

But the most important of all the facts, which the Jews of old acknowledged concerning our Saviour, and which contributed moft to the converfion of the Gentiles, are thofe relating to his death and refurrection; fuch as, the fupernatural darkness that happened at the time of his paffion; the earthquake that followed it; the rending of the rocks, and the vail of the temple. These were all facts of a public nature, and the subject of every body's obfervation; and therefore we cannot imagine, that the Jews would have the confidence to deny them. They did not indeed acknowledge our Saviour's resurrection, but they acknowledged what was equivalent to it; viz. that he forewarned them of it, and also fixed the day when it was to happen, and fo gave them an opportunity of convincing themselves of the truth, or detecting the falfehood of his prediction. They acknowledged, that, in confequence of this warning, they had placed a strong guard over his fepulchre, in order to watch the event, and prevent his body from being stolen; and to fecure it against all private attempts, fet a feal on the stone that was rolled to the door of the fepulchre: but that notwithstanding all their care, ere the time appointed by him for his refurrection was expired, his body was amiffing, and the fepulchre empty. This they could not deny; and in order to evade the force of it, pretended, that while the guards flept, his disciples had come and

ftolen

ftolen him away: a pretence that carries its own confutation along with it; for if they were afleep, how could they know he was stolen? or who it was that had ftolen him? and how improbable is it, that fuch a number of men fhould all fall asleep at the fame time, when not only their honour, but their lives, were at ftake!

Such a fleep as this, would have been as miraculous as our Lord's refurrection. But let us fuppofe, for argument's fake, that, through fome unaccountable infatuation, these guards did fo far neglect their duty; yet how improbable is it, that a handful of timid men, who had but two nights before deferted their Master in his greatest distress, should all at once affume such courage, as to venture on carrying off his body through a numerous band of armed men, who, for ought they knew, were all upon their guard, and ready to refift them! or fuppofing they had courage for fuch an enterprise, yet how improbable is it, that they should manage their business with fuch dexterity, as not to awaken fome of the guards, especially as they had the great ftone which lay at the door of the fepulchre to remove, which one would think could not have been fo eafily done!

These are some of the facts on which the truth of our holy religion is founded, and which were acknowledged by the Jews of old: for though perhaps fome, and even fuch as had been eye-witneffes of them, were wicked enough to deny them, yet confidering the nature of these facts, it is not to be supposed, but that the greater part of the Jews, notwithstanding their enmity to the Christian name, were honest enough to confefs them, and whose

testimony,

teftimony, without doubt, contributed greatly to the converfion of the Gentiles; nay, the greater part of the facts now mentioned, are even acknowledged by the Jews at this prefent time. And here I cannot but take notice of the futility of an objection, in which our adverfaries feem very much to triumph: The Jews, fay they, were our Saviour's countrymen, and had the best accefs to know the truth of the facts recorded in the gofpel: they lived upon the spot, and many of them are fuppofed to have been eyewitneffes of his miracles; and therefore their disbelief of the gospel must be a strong presumption against it. This objection would indeed fignify fomething, if it But the truth is, the Jews do not deny the facts on which the proof of the gospel is founded; they only deny the inference that we, Chriftians, have drawn from them; and whether their reafoning, or ours, is juft, we leave it to the world to judge; for we cannot but conclude, that if thefe facts are true, as most certainly they are, that then the gospel must be a divine revelation.

were true.

3dly, The unbelief of the Jews did at first contribute to the converfion of the Gentiles, and ftill contributes thereto, as it has furnished men, in all ages, with one of the strongest proofs of the authenticity of the prophecies of the Old Teftament. In thefe prophecies, we have a very full and particular account of the character, life, and death of our bleffed Saviour; of the nature of his offices, and the fuccefs of his gospel: And therefore if it can be fhewn, that these prophecies were in being before the times of the gospel, and have been faithfully handed down to us without fuffering any material alteration, we need

no

no more to prove either the truth of divine revelation in general, or of the gospel in particular: and of this, the unbelief of the Jews furnishes us with the most demonstrative proof; for it is impoffible that ever the Christians could have corrupted the prophecies, seeing the books, in which they are contained, were every where in the hands of their enemies, and it would have been the easiest thing in the world to have convicted them of the forgery: Neither is it to be fuppofed, that the Jews would have done any violence to the facred text, in favours of a doctrine so contrary to their inclination: But least of all was it poffible, for both to agree in corrupting the fcriptures, as the perfonal enmity of the one was fo great, and the religious opinions of both, especially their notions concerning the Meffiah, fo very different. The Saviour whom the Jews expected, was a mighty warlike prince, who was to free them from the Roman yoke, and to fubdue the nations under them by force of The Saviour in whom the Christians believe, was a prince of a meek and quiet fpirit; who came, not to destroy men's lives, but to fave them; not to fhed the blood of the innocent, but to pour out his own for the fake of the guilty; not to deliver one particular nation only, but to fave the human race, and that, not from a temporal bondage, but from eternal death; who fhould conquer the nations, not by force of arms, but by the demonstration of the Spirit, and of reafon. This great difference betwixt the Jews and Christians, concerning the character of the Meffiah, renders it morally impoffible, that one tittle of the defcriptions which is given of it in the Old Teftament, could have been corrupted by the agreement

arms.

of

of both parties; and as I have fhown you, it was impoffible for either of them to do it separately—it remains, that thefe fcriptures must be authentic and genuine.

Thus, whilft the Jews denied the doctrines of the gofpel, and at the fame time acknowledged the divine authority of the Scriptures, as also the greater part of the facts on which the Christian religion is founded, they have contributed more to the conviction of the Gentiles, than if they themselves had embraced the faith, and joined with the Apostles in propagating the fame. Befides, had they done this, it might have been objected, that the whole hiftory of the gospel was a political contrivance of that ambitious and vainglorious people, to advance the honour of their nation, and facilitate their conqueft over the Gentiles. We know, that, at the time of our Saviour's appearance, and for feveral years both before and after, the Jewish nation was big with the hopes of univerfal empire, to be obtained under the reign of the Meffiah; the fame of which, having spread itself through the neighbouring nations and provinces of the Roman empire, had excited their jealoufy, and rendered them fufpicious of every step taken by a people, whofe hopes were fo dangerous to the peace and liberty of others. Had the gospel then made its appearance under the patronage and countenance of the Jewish nation, as they were then on fuch bad terms with their neighbours, this would have greatly increased the prejudices of the Gentiles against it, and laid fuch a stumbling-block in their way, as, it is to be feared, few would have been able to furmount. Again, had the body of the Jewish nation been con