WITNESSES OF THE IIESURRECTIOI.
"]fin God raised cep the third da*j, and shotved Him ojoenlg; hot fo all t]te 2eojole, bttt unto wituesses chosen belote of God, even fo s c?o did eat ad drink with tti» after l[e rose from tle dead.'"
T might have been expected, that, on our Saviour's rising, agm.in ff'oto the dead, He would have shown ttimseli" to very grea numbers of peop]e, and espeeially to those who crueified I[im; whereas we know fl'om rira history, tiret, far from this being the case, He showed Himself only to ehosen witnesses, ehiefly His immediate followers; and St. Peter avows this in the ext. This seems af firs sig'h strange. We are ap to fancy the resurreetion of Christ as some striking" visible display of His glory, such as God vouehsafed from rime to ime to the Israelites in Moses' day; and eonsidering" if in the lih of a public triumph, we are led to imagine the confusion and terror whieh would bave overwhehned His murderers, had He presented Himself alive belote t/em. 2qow, thus to reason, is fo eonceive Chris's kingdom of t]ds world, whieh i is hot; and to suppose tha* then Chris came fo judge the world, ilzitzcsscs of t/c/csm'rcct'az. 3 whereas that judg'ment will not be ill the last day» when in vcry dced those wickcd mcn salt "look on Him whom they have pierced." But even without insisting upou the splritual nature of Christ's kingdom, xvhich seems tobe the direct reason why Christ did hot show Himsclf to all the Jews ater His resurrection, other distinct reasons may be given, instructive too. And one of these I will now set before This is the question, "Why did hot our Saviour show Hilnself aftcr His resurrection fo all the people? why only fo witnesses chosen bcfore of Goal?" and this is my answer: "Because thls was the most eFcctual means of propagating His relig'ion throug'h the world." After His resurrection, He said to I[is disciples, "Go, convert all nations t:" this was His especial charge. If, then, there arc grounds for thlnking that, by showing Himself fo a few rather than fo many, Ho was more surely advancing this great object, the propagation of *he Gospel, this is a sufficient reason for our Lord's having so oMained; and let us thankfully receive His dispensation, as He has given if. 1. Now consider what would have been the probable effect of a public eîbition of His resurrection. Let us suppose that our Saviour had shown Himself as opcnly as before He suFered; preaching in the Temple and in the strcets of the eity; traversing the land with His Apostles, and with multitudes following to see the miracles which He did. What would bave been the o 4 lTilnesses of ffe csusn'cclion. effee of his? Of eome, wha i had already been. ttis former miracles had no effeetually moved the body of the people; and, doubtless, his miracle too would bave lef hem as i found them, or worse than before. They might hve been more startled at the (ime; but why should this amazement 1.st? Vhen the man taken with a palsy was suddenly restored at IIis word, the multitude were all amazed, and g]orified God, and wcre tilled wi(h fear, saying, "" We bave seen strange things to-day ." What cozdd they have said and felt more than this, when "ont rose fi'om the dead"? In truth, this is Che way of thc mass of mankind in all ages, 4o be influenced by sudden fears, suddcn contrition, suddcn earncstness, sudden rcsolves, which disappear as suddenly. Nothing is done cffectually through untrained human nature; and such is ever the condition of the multitude. Unstable as water, it cannot exce]. One day it eried Hosanna; the next, Cacify Him. And, had out Lord appcared fo them aller they had crucifled Him, of course they would have shouted Hosann once more; and when He had ascended out of sight, then again (hey would have loersecuted His followers.:Besicles, (he miracle of the lesurrection was much more exposed to the cavils of unbelief than others which our Lord had displayed; than that, fbr instance, of fi'edingthe multitudes in the wilderness. Had our Lord appeared in public, yet few could ha.ve touched Him, and certificd themselves it was He Himsel£ Few, comparatively, in a great multitude could so bave seen Him both belote and after His death, as to be adequate xvitnesses of the reality of the miracle. If would have been open to the greater nmnber of thcm still fo deny that He,vas risen. This is the very feeling- St. Matthew records. When tic appeared on, mountain in Galilee to His apostles and others, as if xvould seem (perhaps fle rive hundred brethren mentioned by St. Paul), "some donbted" whether if xvere He. How eould if be otherxvise? these had no means of aseertaining- that they really saw Hi» who had been erueified, dead, and buried. Others, admitting if was Jesus, would h,ve dcnied that He ever died. Not having seen Him dead on the cross, they might have pretended He was taken down thenee before lire was extinet, and so restored. This supposition would be a sufiïeient excuse to those who wished not to believe. And thc more ignorant part would fancy they had seen a,lirit without flesh and bones as man has. They would have resolvcd the miracle into a mag'ical illusion, as the Pharisees had done before, when flaey ascribed His works to I3eelzebub; nd would have been rendered no better or more religious by the sight of Him, than the common people are now-a-days by tales of apparitions and witches. Surely so it would bave been; the chier priests would hot bave been moved,nt all; and the populace, however *hey lmd been moved at the rime, would hot have been lastingly moved, hOt practically moved, hot so moved as fo proclaim to the world what they had heard and seen, as to preach the Gospel. This is the point fo be kept in view: and consider that the very reason wht d Christ sowed Himself af all was in order to raise up wi[»e«,es
86 Jfilnesscs of te fo His resurreetion, ministers o His word, çounders o His Çlmreh; and how in he nature oç hins eould populace ever beeome sueh . ow, on the other hand, le us eonemplae he means whieh His Divine Wisdom aeually adoped wih a view o makin His resurreeion subservien fo he propagation oç His Gos»el.He showed Himsel openly, hot o ail he people, bu uno winesses ehosen beçore God. I is, indeed, eneral eharefefisie oç he course oç His providence o make he çew fixe ehannels blessings to the many; but in the instance we re contemplating, few were selected, because only a few co«l«l (humanly speaking) be ruade insfrmnenfs. As I have already said, fo be witnesses of IIis resurrection if as requisite to have known our Lord intimafely before His death. This was the case with fle Al»ostles; but this was hot enough. If as necessary they should be certain if was He Himself, the very saine whom they before knew. You recollect how He urged them fo handle Him, and be sure tht they could testify fo His rising again. This is intlmated in fhe xt also; "witnesses chosen before of God, even fo us who did eat and drink with Him after He rose from the dead." Nor were they required merely fo know Him, but the thought, of Him was to be stamped upon their minds as the one master-sprlng of fheir whole course of f for the future. But men are hOt easily wrought upon to be faithful advocates of any cause. Not only is the multitude fickle: but the best men, unless urged, tutorM, disciplined their work, give way untrained nature bas no principles.
It would seem, then, that our Lord gave His attention fo a few, because, ifthc few be gained, the many will follow. To these few He showcd Himselfagain and again. These He restored, cornforted, warned, inspired. He formed them unto IIimself, that they might show forth His praise. This IIis gracious proccdure is opened to us in the first words of the Book of the Acts. "To the Apostles whom tic had chosen He showed Himself alive after His passion by many infalliblc proofs; being" een of thenl forty d,ys, and speaking" of the things pertaining fo tbe kingdom of God." Considcr, then, if we may state the alternative rcverently, w]dclt of thc two seems the more likcly way, even accordlng fo a human wisdom, of forming preachers of the Gospel fo all nations,the exhibition of the Resurrection fo thc Jewish people generally, or his intimate private certi- 'ing of it fo a fêw? And remember that, as far as we ean understand, the two procedures were inconsistent with each other; for that period of preparatory prayer, meditation, and instruction, which the Apostles passed undcr our Lord's visible presence for forty days, was to them what if could hot bave been, had they been following Him from.place fo place in public, supposing there had beea an object in this, and mlxlng in the busy crowds of the world. 3. I have already suggested, what is too obvious almost to insist upon, that in making a select few the Ininisters of His mercy fo mankind af large, our Lord was but acting aecording" fo the general course of His providence. It is pl,in every great change is effccted by the few, hot by the many; by the resolute, un-
88 lCitzcsses of te Resta'rection. daunted, zealous few. True if is that soeieties somerimes fall fo pieces by their ovn corruption, whieh is in one sense a change without speeial instruments ehosen or allowed by God; but this is a dissolution, hot a work. I)oubfless, mueh may be urologie by the many, but nothing is doe exeept by those vho are speeially trained for action. In the midst of the famine Jaeob's sons stood looking" one upon another, but did nothing. One or two men, of small outward pretensions, but with their hearts in their work, these do g-reat things. These are prepared, hot by sudden exeitement, or by vague g-eneral belief in the truth of their cause, but by deeply impressed, often repeated instruction; and sinee if stands fo reason that iL is easier fo teach a few than a great number, itis plain such men always will be fcw. Such as these spread the knowledge of Christ's resurrection over the idolatrous world. Well they answered the teaching of their Lord and Master. Their success sufficiently approves to us His wisdom in showing" Himself to them, hot to all the people. 4. Remember, too, this further reason why the witnesses of the Resurrection were few in number; riz. because they were on the side of:Trut. If the witnesses were fo be such as really loved and obeyed the Truth, there codd wt be many chosen. Christ's cause was the cause of light and religion, therefore His advocates and ministers were necessarily few. It is an old proverb (which even the heathen admitted), that "the many are bad." Christ did hot confidc His Gospel £o the many; had He done so, we may even say, that if would have been at first sight a presumption agalnst its coming
IFitzcsses of the??csun'cctioz. 8 9 fi'om God. What was the chier work of IIis whole miuistry, buç thaç of ehoosin and separatin ]ï'o» the nmltitude those who should be fit reeipients of IIis Truth? As He went the round of the country aaiu aud:gain, throug-h Galilee and Judea, He tried the spirits of men the while; and rejeeting" the baser sort who "honoured Him with their lips while their hearts we far ri'oto Him," IIe speeially chose twelve. The many He put aside tbr a while as an adulterous and sinful generation, intending" fo make one last experiment on the mass when the Spirit should corne. But tlis twelve IIe broug'ht near to IIimself af once, and taug'h them. Then He sifted them, and one fell away; the eleven eseaped as thoug'h by tire. For these eleveu espeeially He rose a.ain; He visited the» aud tauht 'hem for forty days; for in the» IIe saw the ri'uit of the "travail of IIis soul and was satisfied;" in them "He saw His seed, He prolonged His days, and the pleasure of the Lord prospered in His hand." These were His witnesses, for they had the love of the Truth in their hem-ts. "I have ehosen you," He savs to them, "' and ordained you that ye should o and briug" forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain 1.,, So mueh then in answer to the question, Why did hot Christ show Himself fo the whole Jewish people after His resurreetion. I ask in reply, what would bave been the use of if? a mere passin triumph over sinners whose judgment is reserved for the next world. On the other hand, sueh a proeedure would have interfered with,
9 o IVilnesscs of 1]e Rcsurreclion. nay, def'eated, file real objeet of' His risin ag'ain, the propag'ation of" His Gospel throug'h the world by rneam of Iii, ow, idimate'ieM, and f`ollowers. And further, this pref`erenee of" the f'ew fo the many seems fo bave l.een neeessary f`l'om the nature of" man, sinee ail g'rea worls a.re etTeet.ed, no by a multitude, but by the deepseated resolution of` a f`ew;—nay, neeessary too f`rom man's depraviy, for, Mas! popular t,vour is hally fo l.e expeeted for t.he cause of" Truth. And out Lord's instruments were f`ew, if' for no other reason, ye af leas fbr this, beeause more were no fo be f'ound, beeause t.here were bu f`ew f`aithf`ul Israelites without gui_le in Israel aeeording, fo the flesh. Now, le us observe how mueh marrer, both for warning" and eomf`or L is stqplied by this view. We learn f'rom the pieture of' the itfi,t Chureh wha tha Chureh bas been ever sinee, tha is, as far as man ean understand if. l:any are ealled, f'ew are ehosen. We learn fo refleet on the g'rea danger there is, les we be no in the m, m3er of' the ehosen, and are warned fo "wateh and pray tlm we enter no into temptation," to "work ou out sMvation with fear and trembling," to seek God's merey in His Holy Chureh, and to pray fo Him ever tlm He would " f'ulfil in us the good pleasure of' His will," and eomplete wha. He once began. But,, besides this, we are eomf`orted too; we are eomf`orted, as many of" us as are living- humbly in he fear of" God. Vho hose seere ones are, who in the bosom of` the visible Chureh lire as saints f`ulfilling- their ealling', (3od only lnows. We are in the dark abou if. We may indeed know mueh about lIitnesscs of t]ze esurrection. 9 i ourselves, and we may form somewhat of a judgment about those with whom we are well aequainted. But of the general body of Christians we know little or nothing. If is out duty fo eonsider them as Christians, to talCe them as we find them, and fo love them; and if is no eoneern of ours fo debate about their state in God's sight. Without, however, entering into this question eoneerning God's secret eounsels, let us reeeive this tmth before us for a praetieal purpose; that is, I speak fo all wlw are eonseious fo flmmselves tlmt they wish and try fo serve God, whatever their progress in religion be, and whether or hOt they dare apply to themselves, or in whatever deg-ree, the tifle of Christian in ifs most sacred sense. All who obey the Truth are on the side of the Tnflb and thc Tnth will prevail. Few in number but strong in the Spirit, despised by file world, yet maldng way while they sufibred, the twelve Apostles ovooEurned the power of darl<ness, and established the Christian Church. And let all " who love the LoM Jesus Christ in sincerity" be quite sure, that weak though they seem, and solitm3r, yet the "foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men." The many are "deceitful," and the worldly-wise are "vain;" but he "that feureth the Lord, the same shall be praised." The most excellent gifts of the intellect last but for a season. Eloqueuce and wit, shrewdness and dexterity, these plead a cause well and propagate if quickly, but if dies with them. It bas no roof in the hearts of men, and lires hot out a generation. Itis the consolation, of the despised Truth, that its works endure. Its words
goE Vitucsses of te _csurr«ctioll. are fcv, but they lire. Abel's çaith to his day, "yet speaketh k" The blood of tire MatoEyrs is the sced of the Church. "Fret not thyself" then "because of cvil docrs, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut do like the grass, and wither as fle glven herb. Trust in the Lord and do ffood.... delight thyself also in IIiln, and He shall give thee the desires of thy heart eolnmit thy way unto the Lord, trust also in Ilim, and tIe shall bring it to pass..... He shall bring forth thy riffhteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noon-day..... A little that a rizteous man hath is better than the riches of na»# wieked. For the arms of the wieked shall be broken, but the Lord upholdeth the riffhteous..... I bave seen the wieked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay-tree, yet he passed away, and, lo he was hot; yea, I sought him, and he could hot be found ." The heathen world ruade much ado when he Apostles preached the Resurrection. They and heir associates were sent out as lambs among wolves; but flmy prevailed. e, too, though we are hot winesses of Christ's a.ctual resurrection, are so spiritually. By a hea awake fi'om le dead, and by affections set on heaven, we can as rulv and without figure witness tiret Clnst liveh, as they did. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the winess in himself. Truth bears witness by itself to ifs Divine Author. He who obeys God conscientiously, and lires holily, forces all about him to
IlTlzcsscs art ho ]ïcstrrccliou. 93 believe and t, remblo belote the unseen power of Christ. To the world iudeed a largv he witnesses hot; for few tan sec him near enough tobe moved by his manner of living'. But fo his neig`hbours he nmnitk.sts the q'ruth in proportion fo their knowledgv of him; and some of thena, throug»h God's blessing', catch the holy flame, cherish if., and in thcir turn transmit it. And thus a dark world Truth still makes way in spire of the darkness, passing ff'oto hand fo hand. And thus it keeps ifs station in hig`h places, aeku,,wledg'cd as creed of nations, the multitude of which are ignorant, the while, on what if tests, how if came there, how if keeps its ground; and despising if, think if easy to dislodge if. But "the Lord reigneth." He is risen from the dead, " tlis throne is established of old; IIe is ri'oto everlasting, q'he floods have lited up their volte, the floods lit up their waves. The Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mig'ht.y vaves of the sea. His testimonies are very sure; holiness becometh ttis house for ever'." Let these be out thoughts whenever the prevalenee of error leads ns fo despond. When St. Peter's disciple, Ignatins, was brought belote the Roman emperor, he called himself Theophorus; and when the emperor asked the feeble old man why he so called himself, Ignatius said if was because he carried Christ in his breast. He witnessed there was but One God, who ruade heaven, earth, and sea, and all that is in them, and One Lol Jesus Christ, His Only-begotten Son, "whose kingdom
"94- Iitncsses of te esurrection. (he added) be my portion!'" The emperor asled, " His kingdom, say you, who was erueified nnder Pi]ate?" "His (answered the Saint) who crucified my sin in me, and who has put all the fraud and malice of Sata.n under the feet of those who carry Him in their hearts: as if is written,' I dwell in them and walk in them." "' Ignatius was one ag'ainst many, as St. Ieter had been before him; and was put fo death as the Apostle had been:Pbut he handed on the Truth, in his day. At lengt.h we have received if. AVeak flmug'h we be, and solitary, Goal forbid we should hot in our turn hand ]t on; glorilyinff Him by out lires, and in all our words and works witnessinff Christ's passion æ death, and resurrection!