neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jefus Chrift. For ye have heard of my con⚫ verfation in time paft in the Jews religion, how that beyond measure I perfecuted the, church of God, and wasted it. And profited in the Jews religion above many mine equals in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers. But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, to • reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen, immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood, &c *.* To the Philippians he fays, If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might truft in the flesh, I more: circum-, cifed the eighth day, of the ftock of Ifrael, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews. As touching the law, a Pharifee; concerning zeal, perfecuting the church; touching the righteousness

which is in the law, blameless.

But what

things were gain to me, those I counted lofs for Chrift. Yea doubtlefs, and I count all things but lofs for the excellency of 'the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have fuffered, the lofs of all

things, and do count them but dung, ⚫ that I may win Chrift*.

And in his epiftle to Timothy he writes thus: I thank Jefus Christ our Lord, who • hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, who was before a blafphemer, and a per'fecutor, and injurious; but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in un • belief t."

In other epiftles he calls himfelf an Apoftie by the will of God, by the commandments of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ,

and an Apostle not of men, neither by men, but by fefus Chrift, and God the Father, who raifed him from the dead. All which im

plies fome miraculous call that made him an Apoftle. And to the Corinthians he says, after enumerating many appearances of Jesus after his refurrection, And last of all he was feen of me alfo, as of one born out of • due time *.'

Now it must of neceffity be, that the perfon attesting these things of himself, and of whom they are related in fo authentick a manner, either was an impoftor, who faid what he knew to be false with an intent to deceive; or he was an enthusiast, who by the force of an over-heated imagination impofed on himself; or he was deceived by the fraud of others, and all that he faid must be imputed to the power of that deceit; or what he declared to have been the caufe of his converfion, and to have happened in confequence of it, did all really happen; and therefore the Chriftian religion is a divine revelation.

Now that he was not an impoftor, who faid what he knew to be falfe with an intent

1 Cor. xv. 8.

to

to deceive, I fhall endeavour to prove, by fhewing that he could have no rational motives to undertake fuch an impofture, nor could have poffibly carried it on with any fuccefs by the means we know he em ployed.

First then, the inducement to fuch an imposture must have been one of these two, either the hope of advancing himself by it in his temporal intereft, credit or power or the gratification of fome of his paffions under the authority of it, and by the means it afforded.

Now these were the circumstances in which St. Paul declared his converfion to the faith of Chrift Jefus. That Jefus, who called himself the Messiah, and Son of God, notwithstanding the innocence and holiness of his life, notwithstanding the miracles by which he attefted his miffion, had been crucified by the Jews as an impoftor and blas phemer; which crucifixion not only muft (humanly fpeaking) have intimidated others from following him, or efpoufing his doctrines, but ferved to confirm the Jews in

their opinion that he could not be their promised Meffiah, who according to all their prejudices was not to fuffer in any manner, but to reign triumphant for ever here upon earth. His apoftles indeed, though at first they appeared to be terrified by the death of their master, and disappointed in all their hopes, yet had furprisingly recovered their fpirits again, and publickly taught in his name, declaring him to be rifen from the grave, and confirming that miracle by many they worked, or pretended to work themfelves. But the chief priests and rulers among the Jews were fo far from being converted either by their words or their works, that they had begun a fevere perfecution against them, put some to death, imprisoned others, and were going on with implacable rage against the whole fect. In all these feverities St. Paul concurred, being himself a pharisee, bred up at the feet of Gamaliel *, one of the chief of that fect ;. nor was he content in the heat of his zeal

Acts vii. 9, 22, 231