SERMON Í.

An INTRODUCTORY SERMON on the EVIDENCES of the GOSPEL.

ACTS xxvi, 16, i7.

I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of those things which thou hast seen, and of those in which I will appear unto thee, delivering thee from the people and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee

PAUL, in the preceding verses, declares before Agrippa the time and manner of his conversion to the faith of Christ, and the extraordinary circumstances which attended it. And, in the words now read, he subjoins an account of the commission, which he received from Christ, to preach his gospel among the Jews, and especially among the Gentiles.

The singular method, which Jesus took to convince Paul of the truth of the gospel, was not out of partial favor to him, for surely he had done nothing to recom. VOL. III.

B

his prediction, return from the grave, ascend into heaven, and shed down on his disciples the promised gifts of his spirit-especially they who felt themselves partakers of those wonderful gifts, could not doubt, but that he was, what he declared himself to be, the Son of God and the Saviour of men, and that his relig ion was a heavenly institution.

The disciples of Jesus, (allowing that there were such persons) were credible witnesses of these facts; for they related them as matters which fell under their own observation. That which they saw and heard, they declared to the world. Whether they really saw the dead arise, the sick and lame restored to health and soundness, thousands fed with a few small loaves; whether they themselves were able to work miracles and speak with divers tongues; whether Jesus, who was crucified, actually arose and appeared to them; whether they conversed with him, saw his wounds and heard his instructions; were facts in which they could not be deceived. If, then, their relation was not true, they must have intended to deceive mankind.

But it is not conceivable, that they should have such a dishonest intention: For by their testimony to the miracles and resurrection of Christ, they exposed themselves to poverty, reproach, misery and death. And it cannot be imagined, that a number of men should deliberately associate to sacrifice every thing that is dear in life, and even life itself, for the sake of imposing on the world a falsehood, which never would do mankind or themselves any good-that they should persevere in this design after they began to feel its conse quences that they should persist in it until death that never a single man should desert the cause and discover the fraud. This would surpass all miracles.

If their design had been a fraud, it might, in the time of it, have been easily detected and suppressed.

The facts, which they relate, they declared, were done publicly and recently, and that they were known

and remembered, by many then living. If there had been no such person as Jesus Christ, or if he had performed no such miracles as are ascribed to him; no credit would have been given to their report.

The disciples of Jesus had enemies who wished to confound them. The Jewish rulers spared no pains to suppress the Christian cause. Their enmity to it would have excited them to convict the witnesses of false. hood, if they had not known that the facts asserted were indisputable. If they had discovered any fraud, they would immediately have made it public. As they never denied the facts, but only studied to evade the conclusion drawn from them, they must have been convinced, that the facts themselves were undeniable.

These witnesses have left a written testimony, which has come down to us with every desirable circumstance of credibility.

There are four men who have professedly written distinct histories of the life, ministry and works of Je. sus Christ. Two of them, Matthew and John, were his attendant disciples from the beginning to the end of his public life. The other two, Mark and Luke, were contemporary and conversant with his disciples. Four others, Peter, James, Jude and Paul, have written epistles to particular societies of Christians, or to Christians in general. In these epistles, they recognize the character, assert, or allude to the miracles, and teach the doctrines of Jesus, in substance, as they are related by the before mentioned historians. Three of these letter writers were Christ's disciples. The last was a contemporary Jew, a man of uncommon zeal, learning and ability; much conversant in public affairs; for a while an enemy to Christianity, but afterward converted to the belief of it. So that the Christian history stands on the credit of eight different persons, most of them disciples, and all of them contemporaries of Christ. They wrote separately, on different occasions, without any appearance of concert; and yet they all substantially

agree. These writings were received as genuine in the time when the authors lived, and in the next succeeding age, and from age to age, ever since, down to the present time. There is no ancient history extant, which is so completely authenticated.

The conversion, ministry and epistles of the Apostle Paul afford strong and undeniable evidence of the truth of the Christian religion. To these I shall now pay par ticular attention.

The account, which we have of him, is given by Luke in his history of the Acts of the Apostles. This Luke appears to have been a man of learning; such his writings shew him to be. He was an esteemed and eminent physician-so Paul calls him. He was admitted to an acquaintance with men of the first distinction; as appears by the dedication of his works to the most excellent Theophilus. He was highly regarded among the Christians of his time, and his praise for the gospel which he wrote, was in all the churches, He was an intimate companion of St. Paul, and accompanied him for a considerable time in his travels. From him we have particular information concerning Paul's early life, remarkable conversion, and subsequent conduct: And every thing related by Luke we find confirmed in the writings of Paul himself.

Paul, who was a Jew by nation, had been educated in the rigid principles of the sect called Pharisees, and formed to eminent learning in the celebrated school of Gamaliel. He was a man of distinction among his countrymen, and famous for his zeal in opposing Christianity. His worldly interest and preferment, the sentiments imbibed from his education, and the prevalent opinion of the Jewish rulers and priests, all concurred to fill him with violent prejudices against the gospel of Christ. In human view, no man was more unlikely than he, to be converted to the belief of it; and no time was more unpromising for his conversion than that in which it took place. He had just consented to,

and assisted in the execution of an eminent preacher of the gospel. Breathing out threatening and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, he had sought and obtained from the Jewish high priest a commission to bind and bring to Jerusalem for public punishment all, both men and women, whom he found professing the faith of Jesus Christ. And for the execution of this bloody commission, he was now going to Damascus. His zeal against the gospel was, at this time, wound up to the highest strain. Who would suspect, that this man should become a Christian?-But so it was: When he came near to Damascus, he was, at noon day, suddenly surprized with a light from heaven, far exceeding the brightness of the sun. This was followed with an articulate voice, calling him by name, expostulating with him for his persecution of the church of Christ, and warning him of the ruin which he would bring on himself. Struck with conviction of his guilt, Paul inquired, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" The same voice directed him to proceed on his journey into the city, where he should meet with instructions adapted to his case. In consequence of this vision He was led by some of the company which attended him, into the city. There he spent his time in prayer. After some days a Christian disciple came to him, related to him the purpose of the vision, and restored him to his sight by laying his hands on him in the name of Christ. Soon after this, Paul became a preacher of the gospel. That this wonderful scene was real, and not imaginary, no man can reasonably doubt.

he fell blind.

There is nothing, in Paul's conduct or writings, that savours of fanaticism: But, on the contrary, he uniformly appears to have possessed a good understanding and a sound judgment. If he had been an enthusiast, yet he never would have fancied a revelation in opposition to his religious principles, his worldly interest, and all his strong prejudices. Enthusiasm never takes