The parable reprefents an infidel calling for a refurrection from the dead, as the strongest evidence to convince another infidel. Abraham does not in the leaft infinuate, that a refurrection from the dead was not the ftrongest evidence: indeed his argument plainly leads us to believe, he thought it was the ftrongeft evidence. What he fays therefore amounts only to this-that if the infidel, who was a Jew, would not give a fair hearing to Mofes, and the prophets, no evidence, however ftrong, could have weight with him. When the heart is hardened and confirmed in infidelity, it will fhuffle off, and avoid the force of any evidence, that can be given. The strongest would be thrown away.

Now this was in fact the very cafe of the unbelieving Jews at that time, to whom the parable was addreffed. They rejected our Saviour as the Meffiah, and afcribed his miracles to the devil; tho they faw them plainly wrought to counteract all wickednefs. Nay many of them, who had been present at the refurrection of Lazarus, had even the evidence here required of a man raised from the dead; and yet they ftill continued impenitent. And afterwards the more awful circumftances of the refurrection of Jefus himself, had no

better

better effect upon them. So that it is plain a refur. rection from the dead, however convincing a proof in itself, is not fufficient to convince those, whose hearts are hardened by infidelity. It seems alfo as if it had been one defign of our Saviour in this parable to point out the future hardened infidelity of the Jews with regard to the very event. of his own refurrection.

"But ftill, replies the objector, it appears from the parable, that Jefus thought the evidence of Mofes, and the prophets fufficient, without adding the farther evidence of a man raised from the dead. And tho we may allow the evidence of a man raised from the dead to be the strongest evi, dence that can be given, yet ftill if it was more than was neceffary, it feems more than Providence ordinarily allows. So that at any rate, there feems to have been no occafion for the refur rection of Jefus,"

To this we reply, that if we confider the different pretenfions of judaism, and chriftianity, there was occafion for it. The faith of the Jews was confined to Mofes, and the prophets; for which they had fufficient evidence of various kinds. They did not therefore require the additional

evidence of a man raifed from the dead. But the gospel carries our faith into higher regions. It not only brings immortality to light; it farther teaches, that our very bodies fhall not lie in the grave; but fhall hereafter take a spiritualized form, and be united to our fouls. As these articles of faith therefore were new, some new evidence feemed requifite to enforce them. And what could be fo proper as for the author and finifher of this faith to prove it by his own refurrection from the dead?-In fact, it was a kind of evidence, which had more weight than any other, with honeft, unprejudiced minds, tho the hardened heart was able to refift it.

From these premises then it follows, firft, that our Saviour by no means defigned to speak lightly, in the parable before us, of the evidence of a man raised from the dead:fecondly, that fuch evidence was well fuited to the chriftian, tho unnɛceffary to the jew-and laftly, that it was a mode of evidence well calculated to give the firmest support to the chriftian faith.

Awake

XXXVII.

Awake, thou that fleepest, and arife from the dead, and Chrift fhall give thee light.-Ephefians 5. xiv.

HE apoftle St. Paul, having been warning his

THE

Ephefian converts against falling again into the impurities of their heathen neighbours, breaks out into this noble apoftrophe, which is the appli cation indeed of a paffage of Ifaiah to the times of Chrift.*

The words may be applied to thofe, who fleep in life; and to thofe, who fleep in the grave.

To the fleepers of this world Religion calls: Awake thou, who art immersed in the pleasures, and bufinefs of life. Thou art afleep. Thou art in a dream. Awake. Recollect where all this tends. Wouldeft thou spend thy whole life in a dream? Arife. Set about the great work before thee. Rife from the dead-from the death of this world-The world is thy diftemper-feek relieffly to Chrift; and he will give thee light.

Again

*ISAIAH 60. i.

Again, when this world is over, the fame awful voice will found through the regions of the grave: Awake, thou that fleepeft, and arife from the dead. Chrift fhall judge thee; and if thou art among thofe, who were roufed from the dream of a mortal life, Chrift will indeed give thee light, and thou fhalt be removed into mansions of eternal glory.

END OF THE HINTS FOR SERMONS,