report received from the women concerning the resurrection of Christ before they left in the morning had been confirmed; for they said, he "hath appeared to Simon." Then the two disciples rehearsed what they had witnessed in the way, and also at the village whither they went. Thus the evidences of his resurrection were so multiplying that the disciples, who had at first doubted, were constrained to say, "The Lord is risen, indeed."

5. Fifth appearance of Christ. It is now the evening of the day of our Lord's resurrection, and he had already appeared to six witnesses. Ten of the apostles and many disciples were now assembled to talk over the events that had occurred, and especially to consider to what the reports of that day concerning the resurrection of the Lord might grow. For fear of the Jews, they had closed the door. Just then the Savior appears in their midst, and said to them, "Peace be unto you." But the suddenņess and the unexpectedness of his appearance filled them with terror and affright. He, however, calmed their fears, bade them look upon him and to feel of him, to behold his hands and his feet, to assure themselves that he was flesh and bones; then also he ate before them; and afterward, still further to confirm their faith, he opened to their understanding the Scriptures, and showed them that "thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day."

A large number were evidently present on this occasion; how many it is impossible to say. Twelve are distinctly mentioned; namely, ten apostles-for Thomas had gone out before the Savior appeared-and the two disciples who had returned from Emmaus; and it is further intimated that it was a general gathering of all who had been with the apostles during the day, and were conversant with the reports of the resurrection. It is probable that the six to whom our

Lord had appeared prior to this, now, for the second time, witnessed his presence.

6. Sixth appearance of Christ. Soon after our Savior had appeared on the previous occasion, Thomas came in, and the disciples told him that they had seen the Lord. He, however, disbelieved, and said, "Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe." On the return of the newly-instituted Sabbath, the eighth day. of the resurrection, the eleven apostles, and probably others of the disciples, were again assembled together, Thomas being present with the rest; and Jesus stood in their midst, and addressed them with his salutation of peace. Then turning to Thomas, he upbraided his unbelief, and said to him, "Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side; and be not faithless but believing." It was enough. The skepticism of Thomas could withstand no longer, and he cried out, "My Lord and my God!"

No further conversation is recorded of our Savior on this occasion than that which related to Thomas; but it is probable that more was said and done; for the sacred historian says that many other signs did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, of which he has not thought necessary to make any distinct record. The special object of this appearance of our Savior seems to have been to convince Thomas of the reality of the resurrection, and thus to extinguish the last doubt of the fact from the minds of his apostles.

7. Seventh appearance of Christ. The feast of the Passover being now ended, the eleven returned into Galilee, as the Savior had directed them. This was their native place, and here they would be less exposed to the malice of the Jews, and could, therefore, with more calmness receive the instructions of Christ, and prepare themselves for that public

ministry so soon to begin at Jerusalem. While here they probably resorted to their several callings as a means of livelihood. Simon Peter, with Nathanael, James, and John, and two others, engaged in fishing, but toiled all night and caught nothing. In the morning Jesus stood upon the shore; and when his disciples did not recognize him, having first asked them if they had any thing to eat, he bade them cast the net on the right side of the boat, which being done, they inclosed no less than a hundred and fifty-three great fishes, which were drawn to the shore and secured. Then they knew it was the Lord; and coming to him, they saw a fish that had been prepared on a fire of coals, and bread. Jesus said to them, "Come and dine;" and gave them bread and fish, and they did eat. It was on this occasion that he so signally reproved the overweening confidence of Peter and his consequent fall.

8. Eighth appearance of Christ. The grand assemblage of the disciples, where our Savior was to give a still more public demonstration that he was alive, was upon a mountain in Galilee. This meeting he had appointed before his crucifixion; the angel that announced his resurrection to the women bade them remind the disciples of the Savior's appointment; the Lord himself, also, when he appeared to Mary and Salome, renewed the same message; and it is probable that on the preceding appearance he gave the disciples more explicit information where he would meet as many as might assemble. The number assembled on this occasion exceeded five hundred. Twenty years after this St. Paul publicly declares that the greater part of this five hundred were then living witnesses of the resurrection of our Lord. Here he gave infallible proofs of his resurrection, and spoke of things pertaining to the kingdom of God. Here also he renewed the promise of the Holy Ghost, and bade them go back to Jerusalem and tarry till it came. And it is probable that on

this occasion he gave to the apostles their grand commission, to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every

creature.

9. Ninth appearance of Christ. Our Savior after this seems to have made his appearance to James. This appearance the apostle refers to as an evidence of the resurrection, though he gives no particulars of the case. They were omitted probably because they were well known. The James spoken of was James the Less, bishop of Jerusalem, the only apostle with whom St. Paul was favored with an interview when he came up from Damascus after his conversion. It is to be presumed that he then had the fact from the lips of James himself.

10. Tenth appearance of Christ. The apostles having returned to Jerusalem according to the command of their Master, about forty days after the resurrection our Savior again appeared to them. Here, after renewing their commission, he gave them the promise of the speedy descent of the Holy Spirit, and commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem till they should "be baptized with the Holy Ghost." Having completed his instructions, he led them out toward Bethany, upon the Mount of Olives. Here probably upon the sacred spot where he had often instructed his disciples and prayed for them—the spot that had witnessed his awful agony that forced the bloody sweat from every pore-the spot where he had been betrayed by the traitorous kiss of one disciple and forsaken by all the rest; upon this spot he lifted up his hands and blessed his disciples; and as he blessed them, he was parted from them-higher and still higher he ascended in the vaulted heavens, till a cloud received him out of their sight, and he was seen no more.

This closes the direct testimony, so far as the recorded evidence of the apostles is concerned. But then we must

remember that through the whole forty days, from the resurrection to the ascension, our Lord was more or less conversant with his disciples. For St. Luke, referring to the "many infallible proofs" of his resurrection given to his disciples, says he was "seen of them forty days," and during that time was "speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God." St. John also says that Jesus did many other things in the presence of his disciples which he had not recorded; but that from the many, he had selected and made a record of those that were written, in order that men might believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and, believing, might have life through his name. The truth then seems to be, that, without intending a full detail of all the appearances of our Lord, his disciples have placed these on record as constituting a perfect demonstration of his resurrection from the dead. We invite the fullest and most impartial scrutiny of this evidence. We ask any one to consider the number of times our Savior was seen after his resurrection, the circumstances connected with his appearance, the words that were uttered, the significant actions that were performed, the number of witnesses, amounting to no less than six hundred, the length of time through which he held intercourse with them, and the circumstances of his final departure from them; and let him consider also that the witnesses were men of moral integrity and of at least common capability, that they did not conceal themselves in a corner and tell their story covertly, but proclaimed the resurrection at Jerusalem-upon the very spot where Christ had been crucified, and before the very persons that had crucified him-we ask any one to consider this, and then to say whether the testimony that Christ was seen after his crucifixion and death, was not as full and perfect as it is possible for human testimony ever to be.