of the holiness and innocence of their lives. His zeal for the Jewish religion made him regard, the Chriftians, who taught "that Jefus "of Nazareth would deftroy the temple, and change the cuftoms "which Mofes delivered" (Acts vi. 14.), as blafphemers against the temple and the law, and filled him with enmity towards them.

4. It is therefore a matter fubject to no doubt, that Saul the perfecutor of the Chriftians was converted by the appearing of Jefus to him as he went to Damafcus. 1 proceed now to obferve, that his being converted in this manner is a ftrong confirmation of the truth of the Gofpel-history. Saul was educated in Jerufalem, under the moft noted masters. While Jefus exercifed his miniftry, he attended the fchool of Gamaliel. Chrift's miracles and pretenfions making a great noife, Saul, though young, had zeal fufficient to make him range himself on the fide of the chief priests and doctors, who apprehended Jefus and put him to death. Withal, no fooner was it preached that Jefus of Nazareth was risen from the dead, than Saul's zeal prompted him to become one of the moft violent perfecutors of the witneffes of his refurrection. To overthrow the pretenfions of these men, the most direct and obvious method was to detect the falfehood of the reports which they published concerning the miracles and other tranfactions of their mafter's life, but efpecially concerning his refurrection from the dead. The propriety and efficacy of this method of confutation, a person of Saul's good fenfe must have clearly feen. Wherefore, if the matters which the Apoftles told concerning their mafter were not fo univerfally known as to render all inquiry into them needlefs, we may be fure the first thing this champion for Judaifm did, was to fearch with the greateft diligence and care into the truth of them. For an inquiry of this fort, Saul was qualified beyond many. His profeffion was that of literature. He ftudied under the most renowned masters. He profited above his equals. He was therefore not only a man of learning, but of genius. His zeal in behalf of the law was uncommon. His industry was equal to his zeal. The journey which he took to Damafcus, to perfecute the Chriftians, fhews what pains he took in this affair. He lived in the country where Jefus exercifed his miniftry. His principal refidence was in Jerufalem, the center of intelligence for Judea. Moreover, the fermons and miracles of Jefus, which he fet himself to examine, were the tranfactions of his own time. These things confidered, it can neither be doubted that Saul inquired into the truth of the reports which paffed concerning the Lord Jefus, nor that he was well qualified for a bufinefs of this nature. What the iffue of the pains which he took was, his converfion demonstrates: for if the hiftory of Jefus, as the fame was publicly preached by the Apoftles, had been condemned by the general fenfe of the Jewish nation at that time; or if, upon the inquiry which Saul and others of party made into the particular miracles of Jefus, these were found to be falfe in fact; it is as certain as any mathematical demonftration, that no appearance or vifion from heaven could prove them to be true, or make any fenfible perfon who knew their falfehood alter

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VOL. V.

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his conduct either with relation to the facts themselves, or to the people who reported them. In a cafe of this nature, no man of common understanding would change his conduct, till he changed his opinion; that is, till he believed thofe things to be true, which by the cleareft evidence of reafon and experience he knew to be false. But, I pray, what vifion was able to produce a belief of this fort, in one not abfolutely mad? It is therefore certain, that unless Saul had previously been convinced of the truth of the things told concerning Jefus, the vifion on the road to Damafcus, instead of making him commence believer and preacher, would not have had fo much influence with him as to make him lay_afide, even for a moment, his defign of perfecuting the Chriftians. From these things, the conclufion is both obvious and certain; namely, that Saul's converfion neceffarily prefuppofes his knowledge and conviction of the particulars reported by the Apoftles concerning their Mafter. The truth is, his age and his abode in Jerufalem gave him opportunity to know the whole matter. He may have heard Jefus preach in Jerufalem and its neighbourhood, during the festivals. He may have been one of those who went to fee Lazarus after his refurrection. He may even have accompanied the Scribes and Pharifees, who often went from Jerufalem to Galilee, to watch Jefus. For his exceeding zeal would naturally lead him to mix in affairs of this fort. Or, though he was neither prefent at any of our Lord's miracles, nor conversed with the fubjects of them, it was not poffible for him to fhut his ears against the univerfal reports and affirmations of all mankind, who, whether they believed in Jefus of Nazareth or no, were constrained to agree in this, that he did many great and evident miracles. Accord ingly Paul, in the defence which he made for himself before king Agrippa and all the Jews at Cæfarea, having mentioned Chrift's refurrection, affirms that it was a matter which nobody pretended to doubt of, and appeals to the king himself, as knowing the truth of it, Acts xxvi. 26. "For the king knoweth of these things, before whom "I fpeak freely: for I am perfuaded that none of these things are "hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a corner." However, though Saul before his converfion was fully convinced of the truth of Christ's miracles, he eluded the force of them, as the other learned Jews of his party did, by afcribing them to Beelzebub. None of Chrift's enemies denied his miracles, neither did they perfecute his dif ciples for believing and preaching them. The fingle point upon which they founded their perfecution of the Apoftles of Jefus, was their preaching publicly that Jefus of Nazareth, whom the rulers had cru cified, was rifen from the dead, and from his refurrection inferring that he was the Son of God. Now these facts were demonftrated to Saul by Chrift's perfonal appearance to him; and indeed they were the only points that could be proved to him by fuch a miracle. If Saul never faw Jefus before, his zeal certainly would lead him to be prefent at his trial and punishment. He may therefore have been fo well acquainted with his form and voice, as to know him when he named himself. For that he faw Jefus diftinctly, is certain from his own teftimony,

and

and from the effect which the fight had upon him. It ftruck him blind; a misfortune which his companions efcaped, becaufe, though they faw the light which furrounded Jesus, and heard his voice, they did not continue looking till they faw his perfon. Nay, though Saul had not been fo well acquainted with Jefus as to know his voice and form, he could be in no doubt of the truth of his appearing, after the miraculous recovery that was granted him from his blindness, and after he experienced that along with the commiffion to preach to the Gentiles, his mind was filled all at once with the knowledge of the Gospel scheme, that the power of miracles was beftowed upon him, and that the gift of tongues was infufed into him. Accordingly, being fully convinced, he went forth ftraitway, and boldly preached the facts, of which he had fuch certain affurance; namely, that Jefus was rifen from the dead, and that by his refurrection he was declared to be the Son of God with power, Acts ix.

20, 22.

Thus Saul's confirmation remains an illuftrious confirmation of the truth of all the facts in the Gofpel-history. Becaufe, if any of the things told concerning the Lord Jefus had been falfe, in the circnmftances wherein Saul was placed, with the abilities which he poffeffed, and by favour of the opportunities for difcovery which he enjoyed, he must have come to the certain knowledge that they were fo. And having arrived at this conclufion, no miraculous appearance whatever could have had any influence to prove them true, or to make him believe them. In one word, Saul's converfion by the appearing of Jefus to him prefuppofes his knowledge and conviction of the truth of our Lord's hiftory. But if Saul, while he was an enemy of Chrift, and a perfecutor of his difciples, acknowledged the truth of his miracles, we may reft affured that they were real matters. of fact. Because nothing but their evident reality could have forced the belief of fo violent an enemy.I fhall finish my reflections on this fubject with obferving, that the argument for the truth of the Gospel-history, drawn from Saul's converfion, is equally conclufive on the fuppofition that he was converted by an enthusiastic dream or vifion; bcaufe fuch a vision could have had no influence to make him change his conduct, except he previously knew and acknowledged the truth of the things which concerned Jefus. In fhort, the converfion of this Apoftle, viewed in any light you please, is a shining monument of the truth of the Gospelhistory.

II. Among those learned Gentiles whofe converfion from Heathenifm adds luftre to the evidences of the Gospel-history, the following refpectable names are defervedly mentioned. Quadratus, Ariftides, Justin Martyr, Tatian, Irenæus, Athenagoras, all Grecian philofophers of note, who, after their converfion, wrote in defence of Chriftianity, and fuffered for their belief of it. Now common fenfe dictates, that perfons of their learning and prudence would not, along with their religion, have renounced all the views of ambition by which they were animated, and have fubjected them

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felves to fufferings innumerable, unless they had believed the Gospelhistory, whereon the new religion embraced by them was founded. But the Gospel-history men of this character would not have believed, unless they had had fufficient means of examining the truth thereof, and unless upon examination they had found the evidence accompanying it undoubted.

With respect to the means which the learned Heathens enjoyed of examining the truth of the Gofpel-hiftory, they must be acknowledged more than fufficient. Befides the twelve Apoftles, there were many eye-witneffes of our Lord's miracles and refurrection, who made it the only business of their life to go up and down the world preaching his hiftory. Those witneffes were fo numerous, and used fuch diligence in fpreading the Gospel, that the learned Gentiles in all countries had opportunity to hear, converfe with, and examine them. The effect which their preaching had in turning the multitude from the established worship, could not fail to excite the curiofity of the better fort. Men of tafte would give them a patient hearing, on account of their numbers. The perfect and conftant agreement obfervable in the reports of these witneffes, however numerous they were, or at whatever diftance of time or place they told their ftory, rendered the things which they told highly probable. But the circumftance which above all others procured them credit was, that in every country they openly performed many and great miracles, to the conviction of all beholders. Nay, they communicated to the Gentiles who believed, the power of working miracles, and of speaking with tongues. Proofs of this kind, every capable judge must be fenfible, were fufficient foundations for the moft fcrupulous to build their faith upon; and proofs of this kind every where abounded. For who could doubt that Jefus of Nazareth healed the fick and raised the dead, when they faw fo many of his difciples do the very fame things? Or rather, who could doubt of the truth of the miracles, whether of the Master or of the difciples, when they themselves received from these men the power of miracles? Wherefore, the learned Heathens, who were contemporary with the Apostles, had each in his own country the fulleft and cleareft evidence laid before him of the truth of the Gospel-history, and believed it upon the fureft foundation.—In the age likewife which followed that of the Apoftles, the learned Heathens had fufficient means of informing themselves of the truth of the Gofpel-history. For, in all places, those who believed the reports of the eye-witneffes were formed into churches, over which the moft knowing, pious, and prudent, were appointed to prefide as bifhops, whofe office it was faithfully to teach, both in public and private, the things which they had heard from the mouth of the Apoftles concerning the Lord. Thefe reports were confirmed by the other members of the church, who had also heard the Apoftles preach, and feen them work miracles. And to their teftimony, the bishops and firft difciples procured ready faith from all, by exercifing before all the gifts of the fpirit, which they had received from the Apoftles. They wrought miracles

and

and fpake with tongues, and by fo doing put it beyond even the poffibility of doubt, that the Apostles and other eye-witneffes of Chrift's miniftry performed miracles in confirmation of their reports concerning his life, death, and refurrection. Farther, the fucceffors of the apoftolical converts in the third generation, related the miracles which they faw thefe converts perform. And, though they wrought no miracles themselves in fupport of their teftimony, they rendered it indubitable by laying down their life in the caufe. The bishops of many churches in this manner fealed the truth of the Gospel-history with their blood; for in all the perfecutions they generally were the first who fell. They were not, however, the only witneffes, who thus attefted the miracles of the Apoftles and their immediate difciples. Thoufands, and ten thousands of the people, who had beheld these miracles, fuffered death rather than renounce their belief of Chriftianity, and by fo doing, fhewed in the moft convincing manner the truth of the Apostles miracles, and of the miracles of their immediate difciples, whereby they had been converted. In this age likewife, the learned Heathens might fee and converfe with fome, upon whom our Lord himself had performed miracles of healing. For that fome fuch furvived the Apostles, and were feen by perfons who lived in the fecond century, we learn from Quadratus in the only paffage of his apology now remaining, and which the reader will find in the note below*. "The perfons in the fourth fucceffion, who were pre"fent at the execution of the witneffes laft mentioned," had in their fufferings the fulleft evidence which human teftimony could afford, for believing the truth of the miracles of the Apoftles and their difciples. Accordingly, in their turn, they demonftrated how fully they believed these things by fuffering any torments, however fevere, rather than renounce the belief of them. By their fufferings, therefore, they

S 3

The paffage, in the Apology of Quadratus mentioned above, is preferved by Eufebius in his Ecclefiaftical Hiftory, Lib. IV. C. 3. who has quoted it in the following manner: "More

over, the fame Quadratus thews his own antiquity by what he fays in the following paffage : "Our Saviour's works were of a lafting nature, for they were true; fuch as perfons healed "of diseases, perfons raised from the dead. Thefe perfons were feen, not only when they were healed and raised, but long afterwards: and that not only during the time our Saviour was on earth, but for a confiderable time after his departure; fo that fome of them reached "to our days. Such a perfen then was he." See alfo Lib. III. C. 39. where Eufebius fpeaks of Quadratus as contemporary with the daughters of Philip the Evangelist, and as an immediate fucceffor of the Apoftles.

The above Apology, Eufebius fays, was prefented to the emperor Adrian. Adrian began his reign A. D. 117. In that year Quadratus would be no more than 57 years old, if he was born A. D. 60. Jairus's daughter was raifed when he was about 12 years of age. Of the fame age we may fuppofe the widow of Nain's fon to have been, when he obtained the like favour. For though in our translation he is called a dead man, the expreffion in the original is, TO TEOпuws, one dead. Befides, the circumftances mentioned in the hiftory of this miracle, fhew that he was a boy, or at most a youth. Jairus's daughter then, and the widow of Nain's son, A. D. 60, when Quadratus was born, were only 38 years old. Wherefore Quadratus, and all of the fame age with him, may have converfed with and taken particular notice of thefe perfons, on account of their having been raised by Jefus from the dead. For when Quadratus and his contemporaries were 20 years old, Jairus's daughter and the widow of Nain's fon were no more than 58. Quadratus and his contemporaries may even have feen and converfed with Lazarus, if at his refurrection Lazarus was no older than Jefus himself. For on that fuppofition, when Quadratus was 20, Lazarus, if he was then alive, would be n more than go.