name of the Lord Jesus; disclaiming all intrinsic worthiness and ability; declaring himself the chief of sinners; professing himself ready to lay down his life, if by so doing he could prevail upon men to embrace the doctrines of the Gospel. It is impossible to conceive a line of conduct more disinterested, more demonstrative of sincerity, than this of St. Paul. Whatever opinion we may form of his character in other respects, this at least must be conceded, that he was sincere ; that he was a firm believer in the doctrines which he preached with so much zeal and perseverance, in spite of so much hardship and suffering. Consider, that of those very doctrines he had once been the vehement impugner; and the implacable persecutor of all who professed them; and that the change in his sentiments and proceedings was sudden and total; consider all these points, and judge whether, according to any known principles of human action, it be possible to account for his conversion, except by acknowledging it to have been miraculous, as St. Paul himself most solemnly declared it to have been.

But supposing the Apostle to have been really and sincerely converted, and changed into a true believer, is it not possible that he may have been

an enthusiast, and that he was deceived by a heated imagination? We answer boldly, no: we discern, in the character of that great Apostle, the most ardent zeal for the cause which he had embraced; the most affectionate and heartfelt concern for the welfare of his fellow-creatures; but no enthusiasm; we see, on the contrary, abundant traces of that sound judgment and practical good sense, that accurate knowledge of mankind, and that happy accommodation of himself to the exigencies of particular situations, which are wholly incompatible with enthusiasm.

But, it will be asked, may he not have been imposed upon by others? To this question we reply--what indeed is not less applicable to the former--that if either art or enthusiasm could have made St. Paul believe that he saw an exceeding great light, surpassing that of the sun at midday, and that he heard a voice from heaven; yet certainly neither art nor enthusiasm could have persuaded him that he was blind. Besides, he was far superior in learning and natural acuteness to the Apostles, and better qualified to detect imposture; at the same time that the circumstance of his education and habits of life effectually secured him from becoming the dupe of designing

men.

But if St. Paul were neither an impostor, nor imposed upon by his own enthusiasm, or by the arts of other men, we have no other alternative remaining, than to admit that the account which he gave of his conversion is a true account; and if that be admitted, it follows, as a necessary consequence, that he was indeed a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an Apostle, separated unto the Gospel of God; and that the Gospel which he preached was not after man, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.*

To these arguments I will add only one more, but that a very important one. St. Paul asserts, in strong and unequivocal terms, that he had wrought miracles by the power of the Spirit of God; and he appeals to them as evidence of his Apostleship to those amongst whom he professes to have wrought them; Truly the signs of an Apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds. Now if the Corinthians, whom he thus addressed, were sensible that no such wonderful works had been performed amongst them, such an appeal would effectually have shaken their belief in the divine commission of St. Paul. Assuredly no man in his senses, writing to persons

* Gal. i. 11, 12.

whom he was desirous of persuading to believe him, would knowingly assert a falsehood which they must immediately detect. St. Paul therefore did perform miracles; and therefore received power from on high; and if so, his account of his own conversion must be true.

The state of the argument then is briefly this; the reality of St. Paul's conversion, whatever may have been the cause and mode of it, is proved beyond dispute by its effects. A total and wonderful change is instantaneously wrought in the affections, opinions, and proceedings of a zealous, bigoted, but at the same time learned and acute man. He becomes all at once convinced of the truth, and enlightened in the nature of those doctrines, which he had always despised and detested. He declares that he performed many miracles in the name of Jesus; and he advances this as an argument for his authority to those very persons, in whose presence he says that the miracles were performed; and a sufficient proof that he did so, is to be found in the vast numbers brought over by his ministry to embrace a faith, which was opposite to all their prejudices and their practice. St. Paul an impostor? Compare his history with that of any acknowledged impostor who ever appeared in the world, and you

must retract the suspicion. St. Paul ambitious? See him devoting his life to the service of a Master, who offered no temporal recompense but the cross, and a crown of thorns. See him striving to obtain a preeminence over the other teachers of the Gospel; but of what kind? a preeminence of suffering: in labours more abundant; in stripes above measure; in prisons more frequent; in deaths oft* encountering every kind of danger; proclaiming the doctrines of the Gospel at the imminent hazard of his life; driven from city to city; assaulted by the people; punished by their rulers; scourged, beaten, stoned; yet still unwearied in his exertions for the salvation of mankind: not remaining in any place to be the head of a political party; but planting the Gospel, and then proceeding to enlighten other countries; and strictly charging his converts to pay an implicit and conscientious obedience to the existing powers; and to make this a part of the duty which they owed to God. See him disclaiming, in the most solemn and pathetic language, all merit and praise for himself, and preaching, with all the eloquence of sincerity, patience, humility, meekness, mutual forgiveness, self-denial, holiness of life. Is this ambition? * 2 Cor. xi. 23.