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for Christ thus predictively foreshadowed at the time of his crucifixion, includes the promised seed of the woman who should bruise the head of the serpent, and be as St. Paul in his first epistle to the Corinthians asserts, made unto us, "wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption; " those divine mysteries and mercies being through faith in the Son of God, imputed unto believers, that according as it is written, "he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord."

But not only on the first, but on every other day of the creation is the computation of the natural day appointed in reference to the precise time of the death and resurrection of Christ; in order that all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father, rendering unto him in right of his Divine Majesty, the same implicit obedience and reverential adoration, which is tendered to the first named person in the Trinity; because in the Godhead, the persons are not greater or less than other, but each person is consubstantial with his fellow.

Again the computation of time, by prefiguring the death and resurrection of a spritual Redeemer, suggests many points for our solemn

consideration; first, we see that the truth of the christian dispensation pervades the whole extent of revelation in the inspired and ancient Hebrew Scriptures, and that the law was but a temporary provision, and certainly but perspectively and not permanently given; but altogether of an introductory nature and design, pointing to the Blood of Christ, as the ultimate and alone allsufficient expiation for Sin. On examining these arguments, we must acknowledge the divine origin and truth of christianity, because the method of regulating time by the salvation of man, through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, is evidently and undeniably superhuman; and man may exclaim with the Psalmist, "such knowledge is too excellent for me, I cannot attain unto it."

Having shown you that Christ, by the word "Evening," being in the entire and plenary possession of the properties of God and Man, is prophetically from the beginning introduced to us, it remains to speak of the appointed time of the resurrection of the Son of God, which will be done by transcribing so much of the 15th chapter of St. Paul's epistle to the Corinthians, as may appear to relate to my subject. The

Apostle speaks thus, "moreover brethren, I declare unto you the Gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received; and wherein ye stand.

"By which

ye

also are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

"For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.

"And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures." "And that he was seen of Caiphas, then of the twelve.

"After that, he was seen of five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain at this present, but some are fallen asleep.

"After that he was seen of James, then of all the Apostles.

"And last of all he was seen of me also, as one born out of due time.

"For I am the least of the Apostles, and not meet to be called an Apostle, because I persecuted the Church of God.

"But by the grace of God I am what I am:

and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

"Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.

"Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?

"But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen.

"And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain

"Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.

"For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised.

"And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain: ye are yet in your sins.

"Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.

"If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

"But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept.

"For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.

"For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

"But every man in his own order: Christ the first-fruits; afterwards they that are Christ's at his coming."

St. Paul here presents the Corinthians, and with them the universal Church of Christ, with occular proof of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ; and refers them for [confirmation of these facts to those then living among themselves, superadding the testimony of the other Apostles and himself in the light of conclusive confirmation; so that we can have no articles of the doctrine of christianity, nor any points of our Religious Creed more fully attested, or established, than those enumerated and uniformly received by the Church; for it is to be remembered that the Apostles sealed their evidence by Martyrdom, choosing voluntarily to resign life, rather than relinquish the office of their Apostleship; by desisting to preach salvation by the death and resurrection.

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