152 ST. PAUL'S DIVINE COMMISSION 'DISC. Gal. i. 13. Ipersecuted the church of God and wasted it. Acts xxvi. 11. And being exceedingly mad against them, Ipersecuted them even unto strange cities. 1 Tim. - i. 13. Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious. -This_ was sufficiently witnessed. by his, own countrymen the Jews. It bath been sometimes said by unbelievers,- that tes- timonies of the resurrection of Christ came only from his friends, and that you have none of the heathens or professed Jews, bear witness to it Here is a. professed Jew, and .a violent enemy to christianity, who bears strong and constant witness to it. But it could never be supposed that he should continue an enemy and an unbeliever: of christianity, after he believed that Christ was risen from the dead, and thereby so evidently proved thathe was the true Messiah. 4. He spent his whole life afterwards with much zeal and fatigue, in publishing this truth, that Jesus was risen from the dead, and the doctrines which depend on it. He preached this gospel to a multitude of towns and cities among the heathens, who were utter unbelievers, besides his vindicating this doctrine always among the unbelieving Jews. 5. He exposed himself to perpetual dangers and dif- ficulties, and to many persecutions, by affirming it, and even to death itself ; and that without any hope of riches. honours, or pleasures in this world ; Acts xx. 23, 24. The.Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying, that bonds and afflictions abideme. But none of these things move me, neither count Imy life dear unto myself, so that I might finishmy course with joy; and the ministry' which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel ofthe grace of God. Now put all these things together, and can it be: sup- posed that anyman, a wise, an ingenious, and learned man, faithful and sincere, an enemy to christianity, and of the name of Christ, should be so effectually con- vinced of the truth of the doctrine of Christ, and of the facts which support it, as to spend his life in preaching this gospel, and to die for it, if he had not abundant ground to believe it., And if Paul believed it with such evidence, we mayventure to believe it too.
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