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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,
w
öuld
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
of
afflictions; 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