writer's information cannot be doubted, it always, in my opinion, adds greatly to the value and credit of the teftimony.

If any reader require from the apostle more direct and explicit affertions of the fame thing, he will receive full fatisfaction in the following quotations.

"Are they minifters of Chrift? (I speak "as a fool) I am more; in labours more "abundant, in ftripes above measure, in "prifons more frequent, in deaths oft. Of "the Jews five times received I forty stripes "fave one; thrice was I beaten with rods, "once was I ftoned; thrice I fuffered fhip"wreck, a night and day I have been in "the deep; in journeyings often, in perils "of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils

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by mine own countrymen, in perils by "the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils "in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in

perils among false brethren; in weari"nefs and painfulness, in watchings often, "in hunger and thirst, in faftings often, in ́"cold and nakednefs." 2 Cor. ch. xi. ver. 23-28.

Can it be neceffary to add more? "I think

"that

"that God hath fet forth us the apostles "laft, as it were appointed to death; for we

are made a spectacle unto the world, and "to angels, and to men. Even unto this present hour we both hunger and thirst, "and are naked, and are buffeted, and have

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no certain dwelling-place, and labour, "working with our own hands: being re"viled, we blefs; being perfecuted, we suf"fer it; being defamed, we entreat: we are "made as the filth of the earth, and are "the off-fcouring of all things unto this

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day. 1 Cor. ch. iv. ver. 9-13. I fub. join this paffage to the former, because it extends to the other apoftles of Christianity much of that which St. Paul declared concerning himself.

In the following quotations, the reference to the author's fufferings is accompanied with a specification of time and place, and with an appeal for the truth of what he declares to the knowledge of the perfons whom he addreffes: "Even after that we had fuffered before, and were fhamefully'

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entreated, as ye know, at Philippi, we were "bold in our God to fpeak unto you the

gofpel of God with much contention." 1 Theff. ch. ii. ver. 2.

"But thou haft fully known my doctrine, "manner of life, purpose, faith, long-fuf

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fering, perfecutions, afflictions, which "came to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at "Lyftra; what perfecutions I endured ; "but out of them all the Lord delivered "me." 2 Tim. ch. iii. ver. 10, 11.

I apprehend that to this point, as far as the teftimony of St. Paul is credited, the evidence from his letters is complete and full. It appears under every form in which it could appear, by occafional allufions and by direct affertions, by general declarations, and by fpecific examples.

VII. St. Paul in these letters afferts, in pofitive and unequivocal terms, his performance of miracles strictly and properly so called.

"He therefore that miniftereth to you "the fpirit, and worketh miracles (εvɛpywv Juvaμes) among you, doth he it by the "works of the law, or by the hearing of "faith" Gal. ch. iii. ver. 5.

"For I will not dare to speak of those things which Christ hath not wrought by

me*, to make the Gentiles obedient, by "word and deed, through mighty figns and σε wonders (εν δυναμει σημείων και τερατων), 66 by the power of the spirit of God; fo that "from Jerufalem and round about unto Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel "of Chrift." Rom. ch. xv. ver. 18, 19.

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Truly the figns of an apoftle were wrought among you in all patience, in "figns and wonders and mighty deeds" (εν σημείοις και τερασι και δυναμεσι +). 2 Cor.

ch. xii. ver. 12.

These words, figns, wonders, and mighty deeds (σημεια, και τεράζα, και δυναμεις), are

the

i.e, "I will speak of nothing but what Christ hath wrought by me ;" or, as Grotius interprets it, "Christ hath wrought so great things by me, that I will not dare to fay what he hath not wrought."

+ To these may be added the following indirect allufions, which, though, if they had stood alone, i.e. without plainer texts in the fame writings, they might have been accounted dubious; yet, when confidered in conjunction with the paffages already cited, can hardly receive any other interpretation than that which we give them.

"My speech and my preaching was not with enticing "words of men's wisdom, but in demonstration of the *fpirit and of power; that your faith should not stand in

* the

the specific appropriate terms throughout the New Testament, employed when public fenfible miracles are intended to be expreffed. This will appear byconfulting, amongst other places, the texts referred to in the note* ; and it cannot be fhown that they are ever employed to exprefs any thing else.

Secondly, these words not only denote miracles as opposed to natural effects, but they denote visible, and what may be called external, miracles, as distinguished,

Firft, from infpiration. If St. Paul had meant to refer only to fecret illuminations. of his understanding, or fecret influences

"the wisdom of man, but of the power of God." I Cor. chap. ii. ver. 4, 5.

"The gofpel, whereof I was made a minister, ac"cording to the gift of the grace of God given unto me, "by the effectual working of his power." Eph. ch. iii.

❝ver. 7.

"For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the "apostleship of the circumcifion, the fame was mighty "in me towards the Gentiles." Gal. ch ii. ver. 8.

"For our gofpel came not unto you in word only, "but alfo in power, and in the Holy Ghost and in "much affurance." I Theff. ch. i. ver. 5.

* Mark, xvi. 20. Luke, xxiii. 8. John, ii. 11, 23; iii. 2; iv. 48, 54; xi. 49, Acts, ii. 22; iv. 30; v. 12; vi. 8; vii. 16; xiv. 3; xv. 12. Heb. ii. 4.