And so much does he accordingly insist on the importance, in all points of view, of Christ's resurrection, that he considers the whole Gospel system as falling to the ground without it; "If Christ be not raised, our preaching is vain, and your faith also is vain; ye are yet in your sins."

"*

This is the season+ more especially appointed for celebrating this great event: but Christians should bear in mind more constantly than they do, that not merely one day in the year, but one in each week, is set apart by our church, after the example of the Apostles, to commemorate this, the foundation of our faith. Some are apt to confound the Lord'sday with the Sabbath of the Jews. But the Lord's-day was observed on a different day of the week, and in memory of a different event, by Christians, from the earliest times. the first day of the week, on the Lord's-day, as the Apostles sometimes called it, (so named from the Lord's resurrection,) we always find the Christians, in the Apostolic age, assembled

On

* 1 Cor. xv. 17.

+ Easter.

Rev. i. 10.

for the purpose of worship; and constantly commemorating, as a part of that worship, the sacrifice of Christ, in the manner He ordained, by partaking of the holy communion of his supper. "On the first day of the week," we read in the Acts, "the disciples came together to break bread."*

Never, therefore, should Christians meet together on any Sunday throughout the year, without fixing their minds on the great event which led to it. Never should they pass any one day in the year without recollecting, and dwelling on the thought, that they are called on, as partakers already of Christ's resurrection, to rise to a new life of holiness and purity;-without striving to set their affection daily more and more on things above, not on things on the earth;" and to prepare themselves for becoming, with joy, what they must be hereafter, either with joy, or with anguish unspeakable, witnesses, together with the Apostles, of Christ's glorious resurrection : "Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every

*Acts xx. 7.

66

† Col. iii. 2.

eye shall see Him; and they also which pierced Him and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him."*

And why will so many wail? Because there are so many, such multitudes,-who, in truth, "have pierced Him: who," as the Apostle says, "have trodden under foot the Son of God," by rejecting his offers, and disobeying his commands: because, He cometh to judge the earth; on which, as He foresaw and foretold, He should, at his coming, scarcely find faith.

Let each of us then ask himself this question; if the Lord Jesus should come to judgment to-morrow, (and He MAY come to-day; in a very few years He must come, to each one of us,) should I be ready to rejoice, or to wail, and grieve, and shudder, at his appearing? This is a profitable question now: when He does come, it will be too late to think of it with any advantage; though, we may be sure, we shall then think of nothing else. us, therefore, pray fervently that we, at least,

Let

* Rev. i. 7.

† Heb. x. 29.

may be found of the number of those that shall, as the Apostle expresses it, "love his appearing." "For to them," says the same Apostle," and to them only, is laid up a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give them at that day."*

* 2 Tim. iv. 8.

SERMON VII.

JOHN XX. 29.

Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

THE Consideration of the transaction now before us, is not only suitable to this day,* and in itself very interesting, but is also the more important because several of the circumstances of it are in general not rightly, or not fully, understood.

It will be found on a careful examination that the doubts of the Apostle Thomas were of a far different nature from what is, I believe,

* Easter-day.