136 ST. PAUL'S DIVINE COMMISSION DISC. Ir. Remark 1. Which of all 'the infidels of the Jewish or heathen nations, which Of all the unbelievers and apos- tates in a christian land; ever could' pretend to bring such powerful 'and convincing arguments against the resurrection of Christ, as St. Paul had for it ? Who bath ever attempted or presumed to prove that Jesus Christ continues still among the dead, by such effectual argua ments as Paul had to prove that he is alive? St. Paul's own reason exercising itself on these arguments, could not resist the power of them, but he became a captive to the force of this reasoning, and a rational believer, and a zealous preacher of a risen Jesus., Remark 2. How necessary it is for christians, whose life and hopes depend on the New Testament, to be well satisfied that St. Paul was in the right, and that St. Paul's doctrine is true. For it is evident, that a great part of our religion, at least in the clearness, and fulness, and glory of it, is derived from his writings. His writings make tip near half the New Testament. Many of the articles of our religion would be less plain, and more doubtful, if we did not borrow light from Paul's writings. Many a comfortable expression, which oirr souls rest upon would be lost and useless to Us, if we are not satisfied of the truth of what St. Paul tells us, as one commissioned by our risen Saviour. Many a sweet and powerful promise, on which christians haue lived and died, wöuld 1pse its sweetness and its force, if we doubt of the truth and authority of the epistles of St. Paul. What would some of you have done without several chapters, and many verses in them.? as Rom. iv. and V. u, 12, 14. I mean particularly with regard to the doc- trine of original sin, derived from Adam, and the salva- tion by Christ, his priesthood,. his royalty, and the use and benefit ofafflictions; Heb. xi. xii. &c. Our resur rection from the dead, and our eternal happiness; 1 Có1. xv. and I Thess. iv: and many Others ? And of how great advantage is it to us, that St. Paul )as foretold in plain language, the rise and characters of Antichrist; 2 Thess. ii. 3 -12. and the destruction of that state, to forwarn us, and to give us comfortable hopes and expectations. It is matter therefore of great and heavenlyimport- ance, for us christians to be well established in the belief
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