evidence. *"The hand of the Lord was with "them," wherever they went, "and a great "number believed and turned unto the I.ord."

Philip preached Christ in Samaria, and the inhabitants with one accord "gave heed unto "those things which he spake, but it was be"cause they heard and saw the miracles "which he did."

We find Paul, soon after his miraculous conversion, exerting all the powers of reasoning and argument in the service of religion, "proving," to the confusion of the Jews at Damascus, "that Jesus was the very Christ ;" and "disputing against the Grecians."

"Arise," said Peter to the paralytic Eneas, "Jesus Christ maketh thee whole. And he "arose immediately. And all that dwelt at "Lydda, and Saron, saw him, and turned to "the Lord."

At Iconium, Paul and Barnabas q" went "both together into the synagogue of the Jews, "and so spake that a great multitude both of "the Jews, and also of the Greeks, believed." And when "the Lord granted signs and won"ders to be done by their hands," he is said hereby to have **" given testimony unto the "word of his grace.'

The inhabitants of Berea are justly applauded for their attention to scripture evi

* Acts xi. 21.

Acts ix. 22.

Acts ix. 32, &c. **Acts xiv. 3.

† Acts viii. 5, 6.

§ Acts ix. 29.

T Acts xiv. 1.

dence, and their diligent researches after it, which is assigned as the cause of their belief. *"They searched the scriptures daily, whether "these things were so. Therefore many of

"them believed."

Paul +" reasoned with the Thessalonians out "of the scriptures ;" and persuaded the Athenians, by arguments drawn from the works of nature, and the ways of providence.

At Corinth he "reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews " and the Greeks.' ""

And at || Ephesus likewise "he entered in"to the synagogue, and reasoned with the "Jews."

Eloquence, joined to a deep knowledge of the scriptures, enabled Apollos ¶ " mightily "to convince the Jews in Achaia, and that "publicly, shewing by the scriptures, that "Jesus was Christ."

When Paul returned to Ephesus we find him again in the synagogue, **" speaking "boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concern. ing the kingdom of God."

Nay, finding himself opposed in his ministry by some hardened unbelievers, he ++" dis"puted daily in the school of one Tyrannus by "the space of two years; so that all they

Acts xvii. 11.
Acts xvii. 16, &c.
Acts xviii. 19.
**Acts xix. 8.

† Acts xvii. 2.

Acts xviii. 19. ¶Acts xviii. 24, &c. tt Acts xix. 9.

"which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the "Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks. And "God wrought special miracles by the hands "of Paul."

At Rome we find him alike indefatigable in "expounding and testifying the kingdom "of God to the Jews, persuading them con"cerning Jesus, both out of the law of Mo"ses, and out of the prophets, from morning "till evening." And the historian leaves this great apostle before us +" preaching the king"dom of God to all that came in unto him, "and teaching those things which concern the "Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence."

Thus was evidence every where made the instrument of conversion in the hands of the apostles.

And to convey this evidence to all future ages, the history of our Saviour's life and miracles was recorded by the Evangelists.

St. Luke thus addresses Theophilus: "It "seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very "first to write unto thee in order, most ex"cellent Theophilus, that thou mightest know "the certainty of those things wherein thou "hast been instructed."

In the same manner St. John thus explicit ly declares the purpose of his writing. "These are written, that ye might believe

*Acts xxviii. 23.
Luke i. 3.

† Acts xxviii. 31,
§ John xx. 31,

"that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, " and that believing ye might have life through " his name."

The sum of the argument is this. Our blessed Lord himself, his Fore-runner, his Apostles, and his Historians, all unite in carrying on the work of conversion by means of external evidence. Insomuch that I believe we may safely assert, that there is not, in all the sacred history, the record of one conversion, wrought in the manner that some would have us believe all conversions are made, by inward illumination only.

Nay, the faith of the apostles themselves was established in the ordinary way, by outward evidence. For their conversion it was and through them for the conversion of the whole world, that our Lord *" shewed him"self alive to them after his passion, by ma

ny infallible proofs." +" And he that saw "it bare record," says St. John, "and his re"cord is true: and he knoweth that he saith "true, that ye might believe."

The words of those who brought the first account of our Lord's resurrection seemed to the apostles as ‡" idle tales, and they believ"ed them not." How was this unbelief overcome? St. John tells us his own case, as any. other man would do, that he "saw and be"lieved." For their conviction it was that our Lord vouchsafed to " shew unto them

* Acts i. 3.

Luke xxvi. 11.
John xx. 20.

† John xix. 35.
§ John xx. 8.

"his hands and his side." And when *Thomas would not believe on the testimony of the other apostles, our Lord gave him that full evidence of his senses which he demanded. "Thomas," said he, "reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands, and reach hither "thy hand, and thrust it into my side; and "be not faithless, but believing." When Thomas, overcome by this evidence, and melted by this condescension, broke out, in the language of true faith, into that exclamation, "MY LORD AND MY GOD:" "Thom"as," replied our Lord," thou hast believed, "because thou hast seen me : blessed are they "that have not seen, and yet have believed." This passage demands all our attention. Had faith sprung from any inward impression, Thomas might as well have believed before this sensible conviction, as after it. But he withheld his assent, till it was extorted from him by the evidence of his senses. Upon which our Lord's remark is, "Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have be"lieved." That is, "The ordinary means "of blessing mankind with the knowledge of "the christian faith, will be by that evidence "which thou hast resisted, the testimony of "well-informed witnesses: the evidence of "sense is indeed given to a few, that they may "be my chosen witnesses to the rest of the "world; but this kind of evidence cannot be * John xx. 14, &c.