few days after Christ's ascension; for ten days after that event was the day of Pentecost, when, as our history relates*, upon a signal display of divine agency attending the persons of the apostles, there were added to the society "about three thousand soulst." But here, it is not, I think, to be taken, that these three thousand were all converted by this single miracle; but rather that many, who before were believers in Christ, became now professors of Christianity; that is to say, when they found that a religion was to be established, a society formed and set up in the name of Christ, governed by his laws, avowing their belief in his mission, united amongst themselves, and separated from the rest of the world by visible distinctions, in pursuance of their former conviction, and by virtue of what they had heard and seen and known of Christ's history, they publickly became members of it.

We read in the fourth + chapter of the Acts, that, soon after this, 'the number of the men,' i. e. of the society openly professing their belief in Christ, 'was about five thousand.' So that here is an increase of two thousand within a very short time. And it is probable that there were many, both now and afterwards, who, although they believed in Christ, did not think it necessary to join themselves to this society; or who waited to see what was likely to become of it. Gamaliel, whose advice to the Jewish council is recorded, Acts v. 34, appears to have been of this description; perhaps Nicodemus, and perhaps also Joseph of Arimathea. This class of men, their character and their rank, are likewise pointed out by St. John, in the twelfth chapter of his Gospel : "Nevertheless among the chief rulers also, many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God." Persons such as these, might admit the miracles of Christ, without being immediately convinced that they were under obligation to make a publick profession of Christianity, at the risk of all that was dear to them in life, and even of life itself*.

Christianity, however, proceeded to increase in Jerusalem by a progress equally rapid with its first success; for, in the next chapter of our history, we read that 'believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.' And this enlargement of the new society appears in the first verse of the succeeding chapter, wherein we are told, that, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected:' and, afterwards in the same chapter, it is declared expressly, that 'the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly, and that a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.'

This I call the first period in the propagation of Christianity. It commences with the ascension of Christ, and extends, as may be collected from incidental notes of time*, to something more than one year after that event. During which term the preaching of Christianity, so far as our documents inform us, was confined to the single city of Jerusalem.

And how did it succeed there? The first assembly which we meet with of Christ's disciples, and that a few days after his removal from the world, consisted of one hundred and twenty.' About a week after this 'three thousand were added' in one day; and the number of Christians, publickly baptized, and publickly associating together, was very soon increased to five thousand.' 'Multitudes both of men and women continued to be added;" ' disciples multiplied greatly,' and 'many of the Jewish priesthood, as well as others, became obedient to the faith;' and this within a space of less than two years from the commencement of the institution.

By reason of a persecution raised against the church at Jerusalem, the converts were driven from that city, and dispersed throughout the regions of Judea and Samariat. Wherever they came, they brought their religion with them; for our historian informs us, that they, that were scattered abroad, went every where preaching the word.' The effect of this preaching comes afterwards to be noticed, where the historian is led, in the course of his narrative, to observe, that then, (i. e. about three years) posteriour to this) 'the churches had rest throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified, and, walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were

multiplied.' This was the work of the second period, which comprises about four years.

Hitherto the preaching of the gospel had been confined to Jews, to Jewish proselytes, and to Samaritans. And I cannot forbear from setting down, in this place, an observation of Mr. Bryant, which appears to me to be perfectly well founded:-" The Jews still remain; but how seldom is it that we can make a single proselyte! There is reason to think, that there were more converted by the apostles in one day, than have since been won over in the last thousand years*."

It was not yet known to the apostles, that they were at liberty to propose the religion to mankind at large. That 'mystery,' as St. Paul calls itt, and as it then was, was revealed to Peter by an especial miracle. It appears to have been about seven years after Christ's ascension, that the gospel was preached to the Gentiles of Cesarea. A year after this, a great multitude of Gentiles were converted at Antioch in Syria. The expressions employed by the historian are these :- "Agreat number believed, and turned to the Lord;" "much people was added unto the Lord;" "the apostles Barnabas and Paul taught much peoples." Upon Herod's death, which happened the next year, it is observed, that "the word of God grew and multiplied**." Three years from this time, upon the preaching of Paul at Iconium, the metropolis of Lycaonia, "a great multitude both of Jews and Greeks believed††;" and afterwards, in the course of this very progress, he is represented as "making many disciples" at Derbe, a principal city in the same

a

district. Three years* after this, which brings us to sixteen after the ascension, the apostles wrote a publick letter from Jerusalem to the Gentile converts in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia, with which letter Paul travelled through these countries, and found the churches 'established in the faith, and increasing in number dailyt.' From Asia the apostle proceeded into Greece, where, soon after his arrival in Macedonia, we find him at Thessalonica; in which city 'some of the Jews believed, and of the devout Greeks a great multitude.' - We meet also here with an accidental hint of the general progress of the Christian mission, in the exclamation of the tumultuous Jews of Thessalonica, 'that they, who had turned the world upside down, were come thither alsos. At Berea, the next city at which St. Paul arrives, the historian, who was present, informs us that many of the Jews believed. The next year and a half of St. Paul's ministry was spent at Corinth. Of his success in that city we receive the following intimations: 'that many of the Corinthians believed and were baptized,' and 'that it was revealed to the apostle by Christ, that he had much people in that city**.' Within less than a year after his departure from Corinth, and twenty fiveft years after the ascension, St. Paul fixed his station at Ephesus, for the space of two years‡‡ and something more. The effect of his ministry in that city and neighbourhood, drew from the historian a reflection, how "mightily grew the word of God and prevailed§§." And at the conclusion of this period, we find Demetrius at the head of a party, who were alarmed by the progress of the religion, complaining, that " not only at Ephesus, but also throughout all Asia, (i. e.

* Benson's Hist. of Christ, book ii. p. 50.

† Acts xvii. 4.

** Ib. xviii. 8.-10.

† Acts xvi. 5.