rent in pieces, the graves were opened, and the bodies of some holy persons arose and appeared unto many.

The veil which parted the holy of holies from the rest of the temple was rent in twain, to signify the abrogation of the ceremonial law, and that the partition-wall between Jews and Gentiles was now, by the death of CHRIST, wholly to be removed.

These astonishing miracles filled the minds of many persons with terror, who came out of Jerusalem merely to gratify a wanton curiosity, or to indulge their enmity to JESUS by witnessing his sufferings. They who had before mocked and reproached him as an impostor, were now convinced of his innocence, and returned to the city hanging down their heads in sorrow, and smiting their breasts in remorse.

ROMAN CONSUL, GENERAL, AND MILITARY OFFICERS.

The very commander of the Roman soldiers, who attended the execution, could not but acknowledge that "this was the Son of GOD." Thus did JESUS, in his last moments, triumph over his enemies, and even on the ignominious tree gather trophies of glory, by bringing both Jew and Gentile to confess his righteousness and divinity.

But the bigoted Pharisees and chief priests still continued obstinate and unmoved amidst this conflux of miracles, and what could convince a heathen idolater, and a proud Roman, had no effect upon their minds.

Yet so superstitious were these very persons, that though they made no scruple of imbruing their hands in the blood of the innocent, they were afraid that the land would be defiled, if the bodies of those who had been crucified continued hanging on the Sabbath-day. Therefore, they besought Pilate that their legs might be broken to hasten their death, and that they might be taken away. This was granted; and the legs of the two malefactors were broken by the soldiers; but as JESUS was already dead, they brake not his legs; one of them, however, out of wanton barbarity, pierced his side with a spear, and straightway there flowed thence blood and water; thus were these predictions fully accomplished, "a bone of him shall not be broken," (Psa. xxxiv. 20,) and "they shall look on him whom they have pierced." Zech. xii. 10.

It was customary to cast out the bodies of those who had suffered crucifixion, which was the most ignominious of all punishments, without interment. But though our LORD, according to ancient prophecy, was to be numbered with transgressors "of the vilest cast," that his humiliation might be as low as possible, yet it was also predicted that he should "make his grave with the rich in his death." Isa. liii. 9-12. This also was literally fulfilled, for Joseph of Arimathea, a man of considerable wealth and influence,

went to Pilate and begged the body of JESUS, which being granted him, he took and embalmed it, and laid it in a new sepulchre hewn out of a rock. The circumstances of our LORD's death and burial are very circumstantially related by all the Evangelists, that the proof of his resurrection might appear incontestable. Even the malignity of the Jews concurred in establishing the truth of this glorious article of our faith, and to prove the fact beyond all doubt. Remembering that JESUS had declared that he would rise again in three days, the chief priests and Pharisees were determined, out of malice, to give the death-blow to Christianity, by proving the fallacy of his prediction. It was impossible, they thought, that he whose death was now certain, should revive again; but lest his followers might secrete his body and thereby pretend that he was risen, they went to the governor and requested him to appoint a guard of soldiers to watch the sepulchre. This was done, and by them was the resurrection of JESUS witnessed.

On the morning of the first day of the week, the stone which closed the mouth of the sepulchre was removed by a supernatural power, and a great earthquake announced the return of the mighty Conqueror from his triumph over death and the grave; and the angelical host, though they had borne no part in the arduous conflict, attended to swell the glory of the scene and to wait upon their risen Sovereign. The soldiers, when they beheld these wonders, hastened in terror to their employers, and informed them of all the particulars; but, in the true spirit of infidelity, the Sanhedrim, after having persecuted JESUS to death, were determined not to acknowledge him, though they had the certain proof of his having risen from the dead. They meanly gave large bribes to the soldiers to declare that while they slept his disciples had taken away the body of JESUS. A worse plea could hardly be found, for if the soldiers were asleep, how could they affirm that his disciples had committed this fact; and besides, how was it possible for a few unarmed timorous men to succeed in so bold an enterprise, which must have exposed them to the hazard of their lives, and when accomplished could be productive of no advantage?

But the evidence of this mighty event rested not upon one or two circumstances. It was established the same morning by the declaration of angels to some pious women, who, faithful in their attachment, came at the dawn of day to the sepulchre of their LORD. They communicated the glad tidings to the disciples, who were themselves soon convinced of the joyful truth by his presence among them. Thomas, however, one of the twelve, was not with them when JESUS appeared, and the report of his brethren seemed so incredible, that he resolved not to believe, unless he should see his wounds, and be permitted to put his hand into his side. The doubts of the incredulous apostle were quickly removed, for JESUS came again amongst the disciples, and graciously condescended to expose his wounded hands and side to the fingers of Thomas, whose heart overflowed with the mingled effusions of sorrow, joy, and gratitude, and he cried out, "My LORD and my God!" John xx. 28.

On many occasions, and to different persons, did JESUS manifest himself after his resurrection, though not to the priests or to the body of the Jewish nation, whose obduracy rendered them unworthy of such a favor. But there were sufficient witnesses of the fact, for he not only held the most familiar communications with his apostles, but with others of his followers, and “was seen of above five hundred brethren at once," the greatest number of whom lived many years afterwards, and were consequently able to attest a circumstance of which they were the eye-witnesses. On these Occasions he gave particular instructions to his disciples with respect to their important commission, directing them to wait at Jerusalem till they should be "endued with power from on high," or receive the influence of the Holy Ghost, after which they should go into all the world and preach the Gospel to all nations, "baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." Matt. xxviii. 19.

Having finished the work his Father gave him to do, JESUS conducted his disciples to the Mount of Olives, (or Mount of Ascension,) whence, after giving them his solemn benediction, "he was parted from them and carried up into heaven." His retinue consisted of a glorious train of angels, some of whom tarried behind to comfort his astonished, weeping, adoring disciples, with the assurance that as they had "seen him go into heaven, so in like manner should they behold him come down from heaven," when he shall appear in majesty, to "judge both the quick and dead."

The royal prophet has a sublime description of this glorious and triumphant entrance of our blessed REDEEMER, in the twenty-fourth Psalm. The throne of glory, like the

holy of holies in the temple, is represented as of such transcendent purity, that nothing imperfect can venture to approach it. How then can human nature draw near unto this "hill of the LORD, or stand in his holy place?" Acts i. 11. The question is of infinite concern to us, who appear to be cut off by it, in consequence of our defiled state by sin, from the possibility of an admission into the presence of GOD. But the prophet hastens at once to describe the character of the MESSIAH, who, as our Surety and Representative, takes possession of the seat of glory for us. "He shall ascend and stand there," says he, "who hath clean hands and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully, (or violated the covenant into which he entered for our redemption.) He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness" for his people from the GoD of his salvation.'

The psalmist then describes this exalted personage, this glorious Mediator, as coming up from the regions of corruption, and darkness, and death. Numerous angels precede his approach, and boldly on his behalf demand entrance into the realms of light. "Lift up your heads, O ye gates," they cry, "and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of Glory shall come in." Unused to such sounds from the quarter of desolation, the guardian spirits within cautiously inquire: "Who is this King of Glory?" Their brethren eagerly reply, "The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle," all victorious. It is JESUS, the Captain of salvation, who hath contended with the powers of darkness, who hath vanquished the foes of Heaven, rescued the captives who were bound in chains, disarmed death of its sting, robbed the grave of its prey, and triumphed completely over all the hosts of hell. "Lift up your heads, O ye gates," again they exclaim, "and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of Glory shall come in."

A degree of uncertainty still remains, and the watchful keepers of paradise require yet a farther account of him who sends his heralds with such a high demand. "Who is this King of Glory?" The celestial harbingers thus emphatically describe him: "The LORD of Hosts. He is the King of Glory." As much as if they had said, "He who commandeth the armies in heaven, and who controlleth the inhabitants of the earth; he who possesseth all power, and doeth whatsoever he will; who holdeth the keys of hell and of death;" but who hath stooped to the lowest state of misery, that he may become the head of a redeemed people, and to bring hosts of happy souls to heaven, by virtue of his meritorious death and passion, "he is the King of Glory.”

Psa. xxiv. 3-10.

Here the inquiry closes; all doubt is ended; no farther objection can be offered; the impenetrable gates are lifted up; the REDEEMER enters with his glorious retinue, and takes his seat at the right hand of the throne of GOD.

Nor were the gates closed again; since it was for this express purpose that they were thrown open, "that the righteous nations might," by virtue of their alliance with JESUS," enter in."

An entrance into the realms of immortality is now become accessible through the sufferings, resurrection, and ascension of our blessed REDEEMER.* He hath ascended

• THE ATONEMENT.-The doctrine of the atonement is not a mere speculative doctrine, one which we may embrace or not, as we please, and the rejection of which is to be classed among involuntary errors: if it be true, and if we believe it to be true, (for God has made the application of it to ourselves to depend upon our own faith,) then we shall rise again to everlasting life; but if there be no such doctrine, then we have no promise, and we can have no certain hope that we shall rise again at all. Let a man reject the Scriptures altogether, let him deny that in Adam all die, and then he may not see the necessity or the fitness of CHRIST's atonement. But will he be a gainer by this miserable unbelief? He may not believe that death is the lot of all men in consequence of one man's sin, but, from some cause or other, knows that he himself shall die; and how does he know, without the light of Christianity, that from that death he shall ever rise again? Will abstract reasoning lead him to this conclusion? Let him look to the sages of Greece and Rome, and he will see them, as wise perhaps, or wiser than himself, lost in the ocean of perplexity, or wrecked on the shoals of atheism. Does he think that his own virtues will raise his body from the grave; and that these are sufficient to ensure him the happiness of heaven? This is, in fact, the creed of those unhappy persons who reject the atonement of CHRIST. They may not like to speak of the sufficiency of human merit, or of claiming heaven as a right; but if they do not look for redemption from sin and its punishment through the righteousness and the death of CHRIST, they must trust to themselves; they must think, that what they have done well will atone for what they have done amiss; and let every one look into his own heart, and see whether this is a belief which will open to him the happiness of heaven. There may be difficulties in the doctrine of the atonement; the very notion of it is fraught with mystery; but GOD has revealed