been detected in any other tricks. But where was he, who is said to have raised the widow's son at Nain, detected of any tricks? When Mr. W. has detected such a thing in any one case, I will allow it in this also. But till then, as this story is credibly related, I shall continue to pay a regard to it.

Our author has several other things under this observation; but as they do not properly belong to this, of the length of time these persons are said to have been dead, but rather to his sixth observation, of the circumstances of the narrations, I shall take no notice of them here: I have already spoken to some things here, which might have been let alone till we come to that observation.

SECTION V.

ANSWER TO MR. WOOLSTON'S FIFTH OBJECTION.

5. THE consideration that none of these raised persons 'did or could after their return to their bodies, tell any tales of their separate existence; otherwise the evangelists had not been silent in their main point,' &c. p. 32.

None of these persons,' Mr. W. says, told any tales of their separate existence.' So I suppose with him. As for the two first: how should they? being only, as Mr. W. says, an insignificant boy and girl,' of twelve years of age, or thereabouts. Or if they did, the evangelists were wiser than to take any notice of their tales. As for Lazarus, I would suppose he was a wiser man than to indulge a vain inclination of amusing people with idle stories of no use. Besides, I presume he had been a follower of Jesus before he died. And when he had been raised from the grave, it is likely he was yet further confirmed by that wonderful work wrought upon himself in the belief that Jesus was the Messias: and that instead of pretending to be wise above what Jesus taught, he would exhort men and especially his neighbours, to attend him, and hear him, who had the words of eternal life.

The evangelists have recorded no tales told by any of these three raised persons. I much admire this objection. I am very glad they have not mentioned any such things. Jesus himself, who was from above, who was in the bosom of the Father, has not delivered any profound unintelligible theory of the separate state of existence. The great apostle Paul, who was an apostle, not of men, neither by man, but Jesus Christ, and God the Father who raised him from

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the dead," Gal. i. 1: who had been " caught up into the third heaven," and "into paradise;" who had " abundance of revelations," has not attempted any such thing: but declares that the things he heard were "unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter," 2 Cor xii. 2-7. He treats with the utmost contempt every thing that has a show of wisdom without real advantage: exhorts his dear son Timothy to refuse "profane and old wives' fables, and exercise himself rather unto godliness," 1 Tim. iv. 7: to "shun profane and vain babblings," 2 Tim. ii. 16: and requires him to charge [men] before the Lord, that they strive not about words to no profit," v. 14.

Jesus and his apostles have made known the certainty of a resurrection of the just and unjust; a general judgment, wherein men shall be judged in righteousness; when the wicked shall go away into everlasting punishment, and the righteous into life eternal. What they say of the different recompenses of good and bad is great and awful, sufficient to affect the minds of all; but they have not entered into a detail of needless particulars, above the capacity of men in the present state.

Religion is the concern of all. This is the most perfect religion, which is suited to all. This is the christian doctrine, which, as it was preached to the poor, and to every creature under heaven, is wonderfully suited to all capacities.

To the immortal honour then of the evangelists be it said, that when they wrote the history of the preaching and miracles of Jesus, who knew all things, they have not recorded dreams and visions, or abstruse theories of a separate state, for the amusement of mankind, but important, certain truths, taught by Jesus for their edification.

Was any person, in this age, to be raised to life, that had been any time dead; the first thing that his friends and acquaintance would enquire of him, would be to know where his soul had been, in what company,' &c. p. 32. Not impossible: vulgar minds might show such weakness even now. And the greatest minds, while in an uncertainty about another life, might have acted in this manner. Thus some of the greatest men of antiquity, justly admired by all the world, have actually told dreams, or accounts of departed men, and doubtless with a good intention. But he who has the sun needs not the light of a candle. The evangelists, keeping close to their Master, are vastly superior to the greatest men that were before them.

Our author is pleased to trifle so much, as to put ques

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tions about the place where the souls of these persons had been, between their death and their being raised up again; and particularly the soul of Lazarus. But the thought, that any of Jesus's friends should go to hell, will not be borne with. And if Lazarus's soul had been in paradise, it was hardly a good work in Jesus to recall it,—to the troubles and miseries of this wicked world,' p. 34. Suppose Lazarus's soul to have been asleep, or in paradise, or in heaven itself, it might be a very good work in Jesus to recall it into this world for a time. It was much for the spiritual benefit of many, who might be induced by the great miracle of raising him to life, to believe in Jesus, and receive his doctrine, which, when heartily embraced, is fruitful of the greatest benefits. Nor could the soul of any good man be unwilling to return for a time to the troubles and miseries of this wicked world, how grievous soever, in order to serve the great design of saving his fellow creatures; for which end Jesus his Saviour descended from the height of glory he had with the Father, took flesh, and underwent the troubles and sorrows of this mortal life.

And

it might issue in the end to the advantage of Lazarus himself; as no man can doubt, who believes a future judgment, and that Jesus will preside therein, which is the doctrine of the New Testament.

SECTION VI.

ANSWER TO MR. WOOLSTON'S SIXTH OBJECTION.

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6. AND lastly, Let us consider the intrinsic absurdities and incredibilities of the several stories of these three mi'racles, p. 36. As to Jairus's daughter, and her resurrec'tion from the dead, St. Hilary hints that there was no such 'person as Jairus;-and he gives this reason, and a good 'reason it is, why he thought so, because it is elsewhere in'timated in the gospel that none of the rulers of the synagogues confessedly believed on Jesus,' John vii. 48, and xii. 42.

St. John's words in the last quoted text are these: "Nevertheless, among the chief rulers also many believed on him, but because of the pharisees, they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue." This text is no ways to our author's purpose. The rulers here mentioned by St. John probably were members of their great council at Jerusalem, or of the lesser councils in some other

In loc. Matt.

But sup

cities: but Jairus was the ruler of the synagogue. posing Jairus to have been one of that same sort of rulers which St. John speaks of, here is no inconsistency. Jairus might believe in Jesus and come to him to heal his daughter, and yet not publicly "confess him to be the Christ."

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But why did Jesus say, this girl was but in a sleep?' p. 36. Mr. W. had before affirmed this: Jesus himself says, she was but asleep.' And it is true that our Lord, "when he came into the ruler's house, and saw the minstrels, he said unto them, Give place, for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth." But by this our Lord did not intend to deny that she was expired, but to assure them in a modest way, that she would be raised up as it were out of sleep. That this is our Saviour's meaning, is most evident from his use of these same expressions in St. John concerning Lazarus. See John xi. 4, &c. Lazarus's sisters sent to Jesus to inform him that their brother was sick. "When Jesus heard that, he said," to his disciples," this sickness is not unto death," that is, to his final death, to a lasting death. (So the words must be understood, because, according to St. John, Lazarus did actually expire and die of that sickness.) "But for the glory of God." Afterwards St. John says: "These things said he, and after that he saith unto them, our friend Lazarus sleepeth, but I go that I may awake him out of sleep. Then said the disciples, Lord, if he sleep he shall do well. Howbeit Jesus spake of his death. Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead." Where in formal express terms St. John assures us, that by sleep our Lord meant death. No critical reader will doubt, that this is the meaning of Christ's words, which he spoke of Jairus's daughter. Nor will any lover of virtue endure to be robbed of a singular instance of such charming virtues as humility and modesty. Instead of these modest expressions, "Give place, for the maid is not dead but sleepeth:" had Jesus been a juggler and impostor, as is pretended, or had this history been a forgery, we had had some such silly boasting speech as this: Ay! the young woman is really dead, and your lamentations are wellgrounded: but let me only look upon her, and say a few words over her, and depend upon it, you will see her alive again, and as well as ever.

'If he were going to work a miracle in her resuscitation, 'he should not have called death SLEEP; but if others had 'been of a contrary opinion, he should first have convinced ' them of the certainty of her death,' p. 36, 37. That is, Jesus b V.d. Grot. in Matt. ix. 18.

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should have spent time, and taken pains to convince them of what they were convinced of before, and were so positive in, that when they understood him to say the maid was not expired, but only sleeping in a natural sleep, “ they laughed him to scorn."

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It follows in our author: And why did he charge the ' parents of the girl not to speak of the miracle?' There might be many reasons for this, and those founded not upon the falsehood or uncertainty of the miracle, but on the certainty and greatness of it. This prohibition then was partly owing to the humility and modesty of Jesus, who, instead of ordering men to proclaim his works, often desired them to be silent about them. It was partly owing to prudence, that he might have opportunity during the short time his ministry was to last, for teaching men the will of God, and for instructing his disciples; that he might avoid the suspicion of setting up for a ruler and governor, or attempting any disturbance; which suspicion might have arisen in men's minds, if the concourse of men to him had been too

numerous.

These prohibitions therefore may be understood to be only temporary or for the present. Thus our Saviour forbid his disciples to speak of the transfiguration on the mount," until the Son of man be risen from the dead," Matt. xvii. 9. It was not long before he was to be taken out of this world: and then they on whom he wrought any miracles might speak freely of them, without giving any occasion to suspect his designing a temporal kingdom, to the prejudice of the civil government then in being.

Besides, though the parents of this maid were to be silent of this miracle, here were many others that might speak of it. All her friends who knew she was dead, were witnesses of her resurrection, when they saw her alive again.

And rather than suspect any bad design in this prohibition, which is so contrary to the whole character of Jesus; I would conceive that he might have some regard to the character of Jairus, as a ruler of the synagogue; and since he was an honest man, who had entertained a faith in Jesus for working so great a miracle, he by his advice of silence dispensed with his speaking publicly of the miracle, which might have been much to his prejudice, and was not at present absolutely necessary. This I am sure is more consonant to the meekness and goodness of Jesus, upon many other occasions, than any suspicion of fraud or imposture.

And why did he turn the people out of the house be'fore he would raise her?' p. 37. Why, perhaps, partly for