notwithstanding their long acquaintance with their master. The
apostles are not much wronged in this account; and is it likely that
such men should engage in so desperate design, as to steal away the
body, in opposition to the combined power of the Jews and Romans?
What could tempt them to it? What good could the dead body do them?
Or if it could have done them any, what hope had they to succeed in
their attempt? A dead body is not to be removed by sleight of hand;
it requires many hands to move it: besides, the great stone at the
mouth of the sepulchre was to be removed; which could not be done
silently, or by men walking on tip-toes to prevent discovery: so that
if the guards had really been asleep, yet there was no encouragement to
go on this enterprise; for it is hardly possible to suppose, but that
rolling away the stone, moving the body, the hurry and confusion of
carrying it off, must awaken them.

But supposing the thing was practicable, yet the attempt was such
as the disciples consistently with their own notions could not
undertake. The Gentleman says, they continued all their master's
lifetime to expect to see him a temporal prince; and a friend of the
Gentleman's has observed, what is equally true, that they had the same
expectation after his death. Consider now their case. Their master
was dead; and they are to contrive to steal away his body. For what?
Did they expect to make a King of the dead body, if they could get it
into their power? Or did they think, if they had it, they could raise
it to life again? If they trusted so far to their master's prediction,
as to expect his resurrection, (which I think is evident they did not),
could they yet think the resurrection depended on their having the dead
body? It is in all views absurd. But the Gentleman supposes, that
they meant to carry on the design for themselves, in the master's, if
they could but have persuaded the people to believe him risen from the