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tended to excite, even from the first, man's humble faith and truft. As the age of the world advanced, the promife grew brighter and brighter. It was faid to Abraham, "In thy feed fhall all the nations of the earth be bleffed :" and foon afterwards, it was added, “In Ifaac fhall thy feed he bleffed." From time to time the promise was renewed, "there was to be a root of Jesse that was to reign over the Gentiles, and in him fhould the Gentiles truft:" and again, it was ftill more destinaly faid, "Behold a virgin fhall conceive, and shall bear a fon, and fhall call his name Emanuel," (or God with us.) And again, "For unto us a child is born, unto us a fon is given, and his name fhall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlafting Father, the Prince of Peace." In the 53d of Ifaiah, all the particulars of his coming are mentioned; "He was to be despised and rejected of men; he was to bear our griefs, and carry our infirmities; he was to be brought as a lamb to the flaughter, and as a fheep before the fhearers is dumb, fo he was not to open his mouth; and he was alfo to make his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death." And now the long-expected Saviour, "the defire of all nations," appears. appears. Prophecy is fulfilled, for his birth and parentage agree with the declara tions made concerning him by the prophets. Miracles alfo are performed by him, and in the very manner which had been foretold-" the blind receive their fight, the lame walk, the le

pers are cleanfed, the deaf hear, the dead are raifed up, and the poor have the gofpel preached unto them." Every divine virtue appears alfo in his character, and divine truth drops from his lips. He now calls together his apostles, to whom feventy difciples are added. An infant church is formed, the feed of that great Chriftian Church which was to follow. The proofs that Jefus Chrift was fent down from God are encreased, and every day affords fome fresh evidence in favor of chriftianity. It is the caufe of God, and it prevails. "The world," say the Pharifees, "are gone after him." "Hofannah to the fon of David; Hofannah in the higheft." And now the twelve are fent forth exprefsly to preach the gofpel, and to declare the coming of Christ.

But where is Paul the Apostle? Is not he also among the twelve? No, it is remarkable, that in reading through the four evangelifts, we do not fo much as find any mention of his name. Surely, then, he must have been ignorant that Jefus was born, and that the promised Saviour was come. He must have dwelt in fome diftant corner of the land, in fome village, to which the fame of Chrift had happened not yet to reach. -No, he was of Turfus, a neighboring city of Galicia, and he dwelt even in Jerufalem. But furely, then Paul must have been fome heathen, who was unacquainted with the Old Teftament prophecies; fome creature of Cæfar, engaged in mere affairs of ftate, who could know no

thing of the Jewish Meffiah. No, he was a Jew, and even one of the Pharifees, who, were the ftri&teft fect of the Jews; he was bred alfo at the feet of Gamaliel."Perhaps, then, he was examining the Old Teftament evidence, or he was obferving the character and the actions. of the Meffiah, that he might know, whether this was truly the Son of God. But at length Chrift is crucified, and now many additional prophecies are fulfilled; for it was written,

That Chrift fhould fuffer." "The foldiers alfo part his garments among them, and for his vefture they caft lots." He rifes alfo from the grave, that the Scriptures might be fulfilled."He breaks the bonds of death afunder, because it was not poffible for him to be holden of them." And now alfo we read that he fhews himself to a variety of perfons; at one time

to Cephas, then to the twelve ;" and then his refurrection is made manifeft, for he appears "to five hundred brethren at once." Does Paul come forward now, and own he is con-. vinced? Oh, no; the Apoftles go forth, Paul alone excepted, and the difciples "go forth," on every fide, and "with great power give they witness of the refurrection of Chrift from the dead. Behold the Saviour, having finished his work, afcending triumphantly into heaven, while a cloud receives him out of their fight. After this event, furely, every one muft believe. After this event, Peter, even Peter who had denied his Lord, waxes bold in the very pre

fence of his murderers; unbelieving Thomas: having long before been conftrained to cry out, "My Lord and my God." Now too, the flock of Chriftians begins to gather itself together, and at length "the day of Penticoft is fully come;" "three thousand are added to the church on one day, of fuch as fhall be faved." The gift of tongues is bestowed, and the apoftles, having tarried at Jerufalem for the promife of the fpirit, go forth on every fide, having received power from on high, the Lord also confirming the word with figns following."

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But where, I fay again, is Paul of Tarfus ? Is he not now joined to the apoftles? Is he not now a convert to the caufe of Chrift?-No; it is remarkable, on the contrary, that the first time when we read of him, is on the event of Stephen's being ftoned to death; for it is faid of Paul on that occafion," that he kept the raiment of them that flew him." Are you not now aftonifhed at this wicked Paul, at this Jew, this Pharifee, this Hebrew of the Hebrews, this Doctor and Teacher in Ifrael, that he fhould be feen holding the clothes of those who were ftoning Stephen, for Stephen was a preacher of Chrift, a preacher of Paul's own Meffiah.-But let us next obferve Paul beginning to "breathe out flaughter against the Chriftians," and applying to the chief priefts for "authority to bind the Chriftians and put them to death." It ufually happens, whenever the gofpel is made known, that a certain time is afforded for laying open

the great evidences and doctrines of it; and if thefe are neglected, and the ordinary time is paffed, I believe it often comes to pafs, that great hardness of heart follows, and that the unbeliever then is not an unbeliever only, but perhaps alfo a hinderer of the gofpel, nay, a perfecutor even, and injurious. Paul had now had the full opportunity of thus examining the truth of Chriftianity; he had been in the way of hearing much of Chrift, and he might, if he pleafed, have fatisfied himself of the reality of his refurrection; nay, he had feen the martyr Stephen die in this very faith, and had himfelf "beheld his face fhine like that of an angel ;" but Paul had fmothered his convictions; pride and prejudice, and many angry paffions, conceit of his own wifdom, truft in his own righteoufnefs, and confidence in his own religious opinions, together with bigotry to his fect; thefe caufes, or caufes like thefe, difguifing themselves under the facred name of religion, hurried him even into the hottest perfecutions, "for he verily thought that he ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jefus of Nazareth, and he perfecuted the believers in Chrift, even unto death, binding and delivering into prifon, both men and women, punifhing them alfo in every city, and giving his voice against them, and being exceedingly mad against them, he compelled them to blafpheme." And now what hall we fay? Can your patience any longer bear with this unworthy Jew? Are you not

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