Ch. i. 23, 24. "Whereof I Paul am made a minister; who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church."

Ch. ii. 11, 12. "In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ : buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead." Ch. iii. 1. "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God."

In the Epistle to the Philippians, the same facts are proclaimed with equal clearness.

Ch. ii. 5-11. "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God; but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

We have here the view respecting the person of Jesus, his life, death, and resurrection, which was familiar to Christians, both in Greece and Italy, within thirty-three years from the time when that death occurred. The facts are supposed to be so certainly known, that they may be assumed at once in the forefront of every practical exhortation.

No. VII.

The remaining epistles, which may be placed from thirtythree to thirty-six years after the crucifixion, still assume everywhere the truth of the leading facts in the Gospel, with a few additional particulars.

First, that our Lord was of the race of Abraham, and of the royal tribe of Judah.

Heb. ii. 16. "For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.”

Ch. vii.-14. "For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood."

Secondly, that he took upon him our nature, and thence was exposed to temptation, while he maintained a perfect obedience.

Ch. ii. 14, 18. "Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death. . . . For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted." Ch. iv. 15. He "was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin."

Ch. v. 8. "Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered."

That, while on earth, he offered up earnest prayers to God. Ch. v. 7. "Who in the days of his flesh.... offered up prayers and supplications, with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death."

That, after becoming a sacrifice for sins, he entered into heaven.

Ch. ix. 27, 28. "As it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment; so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation." That the scene of his death lay without the gate of Jerusalem.

Ch. xiii. 11, 12. "For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp. Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate."

That he made an open declaration of his kingly authority before Pontius Pilate.

1 Tim. vi. 13. "I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession." It is plain, from the context, that this confession related to the character of our Lord, as a true and rightful king.

No. VIII.

From a review of this various evidence, it appears that the

following main elements of the gospel history are all confirmed by the direct and indirect testimony of the Pauline epistles. The apostle, in the first place, had seen the Lord Jesus after the resurrection, and received from him a direct commission to the Gentiles (Gal. i. 1, 2, 11, 12; 1 Cor. ix. 1, xv. 7, 8; Eph. iii. 2, 3; 1 Tim. i. 11–13; ii. 7; 2 Tim. i. 10, 11). He affirms the resurrection, as the universal belief of the church, proclaimed by all the apostles, and confirmed, after nearly thirty years, by hundreds of living eye-witnesses (1 Thess. i. 9, 10; iv. 14; 1 Cor. vi. 14; 2 Cor. iv. 10, 11, 14; v. 14, 15; xiii. 3, 4; Rom. i. 3; iv. 23-25; v. 10; vi. 4, 8, 9; Eph. i. 18–21; ii. 4, 5; Col. i. 18; Phil. iii. 10; 2 Tim. ii. 8; 1 Cor. xv. 9-11; Heb. ii. 2, 3). He states that our Lord was born of a human mother, of the tribe of Judah, and the race of David (Rom. i. 3; ix. 4, 5; xv. 12; 2 Tim. ii. 8; Heb. vii. 14; Gal. iv. 4; Heb. vii. 1–3); that he was circumcised, and obedient to the law of Moses (Col. ii. 11, 12; Rom. v. 19; viii. 3; Heb. iv. 15; Phil. ii. 8); that he endured reproach, temptation, and suffering (Rom. xv. 3; 2 Cor. i. 5; Col. i. 24; Heb. xii. 3; ii. 18; iv. 15); that he was betrayed, and the same night instituted the Lord's Supper (1 Cor. xi. 23-26); that he was crucified, dead and buried (Gal. ii. 20; iii. 1, 13; v. 24; vi. 14; 1 Cor. i. 13, 17, 18, 23; ii. 2, 7, 8; xiii. 4; Rom. vi. 6; Eph. ii. 15, 16; Phil. ii. 8; iii. 18; Heb. xii. 2; 1 Cor. xv. 4; Col. ii. 12; Rom. vi. 4); that he suffered without the gate of Jerusalem (Heb. xiii. 12); that he offered fervent prayers, and underwent a bloody agony, before his death (Heb. v. 7; xii. 2–4); that his resurrection took place on the third day (1 Cor. xv. 4); that he ascended afterwards into heaven (Rom. viii. 34; Eph. i. 19, 20; iv. 8-10; Col. iii. 1; Phil. ii. 9; 1 Tim. iii. 16; Heb. viii. 1; ix. 24); that he appeared after his resurrection, at least five times, and to more than five hundred witnesses (1 Cor. xv. 5-7); that he appointed twelve apostles, to be messengers of the gospel (1 Cor. iv. 9; ix. 5; xii. 28; 2 Cor. xi. 5; Gal. i. 17; xii. 11, 12; 1 Cor. xv. 5, 7; Eph. ii. 20); and that James, Cephas, and John were three of the most eminent (1 Cor. xv. 5, 7; Gal. ii. 9, 11, 12); and that these apostles, as well as St. Paul himself, were endued with miraculous powers, exercised in the name of the Lord Jesus (Heb. ii. 3,4; 1 Cor. xii. 28, 29; xiv. 18; 2 Cor. xii. 11, 12; Gal. ii. 8; Rom. xv. 18, 19.)

It has of late been objected to the Gospel history, by philosophical unbelievers, that the epistles are silent respecting the miracles of our Lord, and thus are negative witnesses against them. The objection betokens either great blindness, or utter insincerity. The epistles not only affirm, in more than fifty passages, the crowning miracles of our Lord's resurrection and ascension, but repeatedly assert, as a notorious fact, the actual exercise of miraculous powers, by St. Paul himself and the other apostles, and even by many Christians far less distinguished in the churches. This is taught in both letters to Corinth, and in those to the Galatians, the Romans, the Ephesians, and Colossians. Hence not even our Lord's resurrection is more plainly a part of the apostle's faith, than this actual presence of miraculous powers in the church. And it is equally plain that all these gifts and miracles are directly ascribed to the risen Saviour, as their true and secret author. Finally, it is declared that miracles were the signs of an apostle (2 Cor. xii. 12), while this very title of apostle is directly applied to the Lord Jesus (Heb. iii. 1). And hence, combining these particulars, it is as clear and certain that St. Paul recognised the fact, that miracles were wrought by the Lord Jesus during the course of his ministry in Palestine, as if he had stated his conviction in the most explicit form.

CHAPTER II.

THE TESTIMONY OF THE BOOK OF ACTS.

THE book of Acts, from its own internal evidence and a comparison with the epistles of St. Paul, has been shown already to be a faithful history, and in all its later chapters the production of an eye-witness. As a direct narrative, commencing more than twenty years earlier than the first of St. Paul's letters, we might reasonably expect that it would furnish more copious information on the facts of the Gospel history. Such we find to be the case on actual investigation. It remains now to examine the amount of evidence thus obtained before we trace the internal coincidence of the gospels themselves. It will be convenient to arrange the whole under distinct articles as before.

No. I.

First, the book of Acts confirms fully the assertion in the

letters that St. Paul had personally seen the Lord Jesus after the resurrection, and all the other hints relative to his conversion and apostleship, while it adds more copious details of the place, time, and circumstances of these events.

There are three passages where these facts are stated in the history; once in the direct narrative (ix. 1-20); once in the defence before the Jews (xxii. 1-21); and a third time before Festus and Agrippa, Acts xxvi. 1-23. These passages may suggest a few general remarks.

1. The apostle asserts in the letters that he had seen the Lord Jesus, 1 Cor. ix. 1; xv. 3-8. This fact appears also in each of the above passages, but with many specific details; that he was on a journey to Damascus, and drew near to the city, that this first vision occurred at noon-day, that it was followed by a blindness of three days, that his companions saw the light and heard a voice, but did not see the person or distinguish the words of the Lord Jesus, and that the message was given in the Hebrew tongue,-“ Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me ?"

2. The apostle states in the letters that he had been previously "a blasphemer, a persecutor, and injurious." The same truth appears in the history, but with fuller details; that his acts of persecution began at the death of Stephen, when he kept the raiment of them that slew him; that they were exercised first at Jerusalem towards women as well as men; that they extended afterwards to the other cities of Judæa, and at length, that he persecuted them even to foreign cities, and his zeal led him to procure letters from the high priest for Damascus, where the vision occurred.

3. The apostle affirms in his letters that the Lord Jesus himself constituted him an apostle to the Gentiles. And this is taught with equal plainness in the defence before Agrippa, and also in the defence at Jerusalem. But the history shows us further that this commission was twice given, once at the time of his conversion, and again in the temple at Jerusalem, xxvi. 16-18; xxii. 17-21.

4. St. Paul affirms in the letters that the other apostles bore the same witness as himself to the resurrection of Jesus, of which they had been eye-witnesses much earlier, 1 Cor. xv. 3-11. The same statement is given by him, according to the history, in his discourse at Antioch, "But God raised him from the dead; and he was seen many days of them which