ferved its order, attended to its connexion, elucidated from fcripture, especially from Paul's other writings, the paffages which feemed obfcure, noticed every fubject which it prefented to him, and treated the whole in a familiar and practical manner, that the work might be adapted to every capacity, and to general usefulness.

HE will not call this a complete body of divinity; for it is not caft into a fyftematic form, nor does it contain every fubject, which might be expected in a complete system. But most of the subjects, which peculiarly belong to the Chriftian scheme, as diftinct from natural religion, are here stated and explained, if not in the fyftematic order, yet in the order in which the Apostle has placed them.

SOME fubjects, on which the author has before published his fentiments, as baptifm, the church, and the difcrimination between true and falfe teachers, are here paffed over in a fummary way, left this work fhould be too voluminous; and it is probable that of those, who have not condefcended to read his former publications, few will think this worthy of their perufal.

THE prevalence of infidelity, in the present day, fuggefted the propriety of prefixing to this work a preliminary difcourfe on the Divine Authority of the Gofpel, and particularly on the genuineness and authenticity of the writings afcribed to St. Paul.

THIS work, which was, in a courfe of Sermons, laid before the people to whom the author ftands immediately related, is now humbly prefented to the public, with his ardent wishes and prayers that the bleffing of God may accompany it.:

SERMON I

An INTRODUCTORY SERMON on the Evi DENCES of the GOSPEL, and the GENUINE NESS of PAUL'S EPISTLES.

ACTS xxvi. 16, 17.

i have appeared unto thee for this purpofe, to make thee a minifter and a witness both of thofe things which thou haft feen, and of thofe in which I will appear unto thee, delivering thee from the people and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I fend thee;

AUL, in the preceding verfes, declares before Agrippa,the time and manner of his converfion to the faith of Chrift, and the extraordinary

circunftances And, in the

words now read, he fubjoins an account of the commiffion,

which he received from Chrift, to preach his gofpel among the Jews, and efpecially among the Gen tiles, & Ag

A

The fingular method, which Jefus took, to convince Paul of the truth of the gofpel, was not out of partial favor to him, for furely he had done nothing to recommend himself, but rather out of a general benevolence to mankind; for this man was a chofen veffel-a fuitable inftrument to convey Chrift's name among them. Jefus miraculously appeared to him to make him a minifter of the gofpel, and a witness of those facts by which its truth is fupported. And having furnished him for his work, Jefus fent him forth to publish the doctrines, and difplay the evidences of the gospel among the people of the Jews, and among the Heathen na

tions.

The words teach us, that "the Apostle Paul was a notable and illuftrious inftrument in fpreading the knowledge and confirming the truth of the religion of Chrift." Such he appears from the hiftory given of him in the Acts of the Apoftles, and from the writings which he himself has left for the use of the church.

My defign is to give a fummary view of the evidences of Chriftianity, and particularly to illuftrate the evidences derived from the conversion, preaching and writings of this eminent minifter and wi.nefs.

The Chriftian religion does now exift, and for many ages it has exifted in the world. To account for its exiftence, without admitting its truth, it is impoffible: For it did not take place by the influence of human authority, or the terror of military power bat by familiar inftructions and ob vious miracles... The credit of it depends on these plain facts that about eighteen hundred years ago, there arofe in Judea an extraordinary perfon, called Jefus of Nazareth, who declared himself to be divinely fent into the world, as an instructor, reformer and favior of men-that he lived a moft virtuous and holy life-that he taught a religion in

fome refpects new, in many refpe&s more perfect than had ever been taught before, and in all ref pects pure and excellent-that he wrought many great and aftonishing miracles-that he foretold many things, humanly improbable, which were verified in event-that he fuffered death by a public crucifixion, and, on the third day, rofe again, and appeared to many in different times and plac es, not only to fingle perfons, but to companies, and to more than five hundred at once, and fre quently to those who had most intimately known him before his death, and who confequently could not mistake another perfon for him-that after about forty days, he, in the presence of a large concourse of disciples, vifibly afcended on high, and disappeared from the admiring fpectators-that, foon after this, according to his previous promise, the disciples whom he had chofen to be the witneffes of his works and the minifters of his word, were endued with extraordinary gifts, qualifying them to go forth and proclaim his religion in the world.

If fuch facts as thefe did really exift, the religion of the gospel is indubitably true. They who difbelieve the gospel, muft deny that there ever was fuch a man, or that he ever wrought fuch miracles, and died and rofe again in the manner alledged.

Miracles, which are effects produced above the common powers, and in a way different from the stated course of nature, plainly difcover God's immediate interpofition. From the goodriefs and veracity of God, we may conclude, that he never will immediately interpofe to give firch credibility to a falfehood, that men, inquiring honefly, and judg ing rationally, must receive it as a truth.

The miracles of Christ, (admitting, for the prefent, the Christian history to be true) were great and numerous; and he conftantly appealed to them as evidences of the divinity of his million and doc

trines. To fuppofe, that, in fuch a cafe, God fhould enable an impoftor to perform these marvellous works, which are related of Jefus, is contrary to all our ideas of the divine character.

They who faw Chrift heal the fick, raise the dead, caft out devils, and ftill the ftorms-they who faw him yield himself to death, and then, exactly ac cording to his prediction, return from the grave, afcend into heaven, and fhed down on his difciples the promised gifts of his fpirit-efpecially they who felt themfelves partakers of thefe wonderful gifts, could not doubt, but that he was, what he declared himself to be, the Son of God and the Savior of men, and that his religion was a heavenly inftitution.

The difciples of Jefus, (allowing that there were fuch perfons) were credible witnesses of these fa&ts; for they related them as matters which fell under their own observation. That which they faw and heard, they declared to the world. Whether they really faw the dead arife, the fick and lame restored to health and foundnels, thousands fed with a few fmall loaves; whether they themfelves were able to work miracles and Tpeak with divers tongues ; whether Jefus, who was crucified, actually arofe and appeared to them; whether they converfed with him, faw his wounds and heard his inftructions; were facts in which they could not be deceived.:: If, then, their relation was not true, they must have intended to deceive mankind.

But it is hot conceivable, that they fhould have fuch a.difhoneft intention: For by their teftimony to the miracles and refurrection of Chrift, they expofed themselves to poverty, reproach, mifery and death. And it cannot be imagined, that a number of men fhould deliberately affociate to facrifice every thing that is dear in life, and even life itself, for the fake of impofing on the world a falfehood, which never would do mankind or themselves any