154 ST. PAUL'S tIVTNE COMMISSION [DISC if, Acts xxii.' 17, 18, 21, when Christ sent hìm to preach to the gentiles. , ' 2. He felt a wonderful change in himself, both in his body and soul, after he had the first vision of Christ: Ile was struck blind, and after three days had his sight restored; by the laying on of the hands of Ananias, a christian, according to the vision which was given him ; Acts ix. 8, 18. He had a new scene of things set before his understanding, even the whole scheme of christianity. Some suppose that, in the three days ofhis blindness, he was taught the gospel. And accordingly it is said ;.Acts ix. 20, 22. That he straitway preached Christ in the synagogue, that he is the son ofGod; Gal. i. 1. Paul an apostle, not of man nor by man, but by Jesus Christ. He had a new heart givenhim, and was made a newman. I neither received it ofman, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation ofJesus Christ. God called me by his grace, and revealedhis Son in me; Gal i. 15, 16. And of an enemy he became a friend, and preacher of the gospel ; Gal. i. 11-16, 23. 3. He found strange powers communicated to him, and he could speak many unknown languages, and gave' this gift of tcinguès to other men ; he could heal the sick with a touch of his hand, or a word of his mouth he could make the lame to walk, as at Lystra ; Acts xiv. 8, 10, and strike men blind with a reproof, so .Elymas ; Acts xiii. 11, 12, and could raise the dead ; so Lutÿchus, Acts xx. 10, 12. and : besides all this, he had a power of communicating these miraculous and healinggifts to christians ; which eminently appears among the Corinthians to which he appeals in his dis- putes with them ; 1 Cor. xiv. 1$. Nowwas it possible for a man who felt such amazing changes wrought in him, and such amazing powers corn municated to him by Jesus Christ, to doubt whether Christ was risen from the dead, whether Jesus were alive or no ? Or would God have communicated such powers to aman, who went about to preach the resurrection of Christ, if Christ had never been raised from the grave ? Would God have afforded such favours to a man who preached the christian religion, if it had not been true and approved of God ? Nor could St. Paul be deceived in his frequently ex..
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