The effects produced on the minds of the Apostles, on this occasion, were of an extraordinary kind. A flood of light seems to have broken in upon them, at once. Their remaining doubts and prejudices were removed; their misapprehensions were rectified, and their views conform ed to the scope of the doctrines, which had been taught by Christ.

It is manifest, also, that they were endued with unwonted zeal and fortitude. On several occasions, while Christ was with them, they had exhibited no small degree of listlessness and timidity. At the time of his apprehension, they had forsaken him, and fled. Even the intrepid Peter denied that he knew him. But, from the day of Pentecost, they seem to have felt no weariness, and to have feared no danger.

The gift of tongues, or the power of speaking different languages, thus imparted to the apostles, was not less important, than extraordinary. With this facility, they were prepared, without the labor of study, to spread a knowledge of the Gospel to the different nations, to whom they might be sent.

4. A rumor of this stupendous miracle spreading abroad in the streets of Jerusalem, a multitude of Jews, residents and strangers, were soon collected to the spot. To these, Peter explained the mystery, by declaring it to be effected by the power of that Jesus, whom they had wickedly slain. The explanation, and the charge being accompanied to their consciences by the spirit of God, led to the very sudden conversion of about 3000 souls, who were forthwith baptized. This may be considered as the gathering, or organization of the first Christian Church.

5. Shortly after the above miracle, the healing of a poor cripple, accompanied by a second discourse from Peter, swelled the number of converts to about 5000.

6. This rapid increase of the followers of Christ greatly alarming the Priests and Sadducees, they seized the two Apostles, Peter and John, and committed them to prison. The next day, being brought before the Sanhedrim, or Jewish council, the language and conduct of Peter were so bold, that it was deemed impolitic to do any thing further, than to dismiss the apostles, with a strict injunction, not to teach any more

in the name of Jesus.

7. This injunction, however, had not its designed effect; for, instead of being intimidated, the apostles continued boldly to proclaim Christ and him crucified.

8. Fired with indignation, at their boldness, the enemies of religion at length seized the whole company of the apostles, and confined them in the common prison. From this, however, they were miraculously released in the night, and to the amazement of their enemies, were found in the morning in the temple, teaching the people.

The efforts of the Jewish authorities to destroy the cause of Christianity were strenuous and unremitted; but they seem to have been made to little purpose. Opposition served only to enkindle a higher ardor in the breasts of the apostles. Nor were their labors in vain. Converts multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and many were obedient to the faith.

9. At this interesting period, the circumstances of the Church requiring it, the office of Deacon was instituted.

The occasion which led to the institution of this office was a dissatisfaction on the part of some Grecian converts, because their widows did not receive a competent supply of food, from the common stock. Hitherto, the distribution had been made by the apostles, or under their direction. But, finding it difficult thus to superintend the temporal concerns of the Church, the apostles relinquished these to officers appointed especially for that purpose.

10. Notwithstanding the persecuting spirit of the Jewish rulers, none of the followers of Christ had yet been called to suffer death, for his name.

But near the end of the year 35, Stephen, a man pre-eminent for his piety, was furiously attacked, on an occasion of defending his doctrines, dragged out of the city and stoned to death.

Stephen, thus called to lead in the "noble army of martyrs," was a deacon in the Church at Jerusalem. He was not less distinguished by his eloquence, than his piety. His defence, delivered before the Sanhedrim, recorded in the 7th chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, is a prac tical illustration of the zeal and boldness of the primitive disciples of Christ.

11. On the death of Stephen, the storm of persecution becoming violent, the disciples, with many members of the Church, fled to other cities of Judea, and also to Samaria; but wherever they went, they spread the knowledge of the Gospel with great success.

The persecution which arose at the death of Stephen continued, it is thought, about four years. Calamitous as it must have then appeared to the infant cause of the Church, it became, under the direction of its supreme head, the means of promoting its progress. By the dispersion of

the disciples, the Gospel was published abroad. The preaching of Philip in the city of Samaria is particularly mentioned; and such was his success, that shortly afterwards, two of the apostles formed in that place the second Christian Church in the world.

12. The year 36 was marked by an event auspicious to the interests of the rising cause. This was the miraculous conversion of Saul, the persecutor, while on a journey to Damascus, to exterminate such of the followers of Christ, as had taken refuge in that city.

The first mention made of Saul is at the trial of Stephen, on which oc casion, though a young man, he was active in putting him to death. He was a native of Tarsus, the chief city of Cilicia, in Asia Minor, but had come to Jerusalem to pursue his studies under Gamaliel, a celebrated doctor of the Jewish law.

On the death of Stephen, he appears to have still more zealously enlisted himself against the Church, entering into private houses and into synagogues, from which he dragged the members of the Church to prison, and even compelled them to blaspheme,

Shortly after this, hearing that some of the followers of Christ had taken refuge in Damascus, he commenced a journey thither, to seize and bring to Jerusalem, such of them as he might find there.

About noon, one day, Saul and his companions arrived in the vicinity of Damascus, when suddenly, Christ appeared to him in the way; and so great was the glory that surrounded the Redeemer, that Saul fell on the earth. Here as he lay, Jesus, in a voice which penetrated his soul, demanded, why he could persecute him. Astonished and bewildered, the persecutor inquired, "Who art thou, Lord ?" To which inquiry, a voice from the incumbent cloud of glory replied, "I am Jesus, whom thou persecutest." Strong as had been the opposition of this bitterest foe, and murderous as were his intentions, the victory of Christ over him was complete. He became a willing captive-a champion of that cause, which he had so much depised, and the cordial friend of that Redeemer, whose followers he was now designing to destroy.

13. The conversion of Saul, who, from this time appears to have been called Paul, the latter being his Roman, the former his Grecian name, being thus accomplished, he preached, for a short season, in the city of Damascus, whence he went into Arabia; where having abode nearly three years, he returned about A. D. 40. to Damascus.

Concerning the manner in which Paul was employed, during his resi dence in Arabia, the inspired historian is silent. It is a reasonable conjecture, however, that he preached the Gospel, in that country. His temporary absence from Judea, while the storm of persecution was raging, seemed a measure of prudence, since he had become particularly obnoxious to his unbelieving countrymen, by espousing the cause which they so nuch despised.

14. During the absence of Paul, Tiberius, the Ro

man emperor, was strangled, or poisoned, and was succeeded by Caius Caligula, whose character and conduct, at length, proved to be more odious and atrocious, than had been those of his predecessor.

The extravagance and impiety of Caligula rendered him justly hated, in every part of his dominions. Through vain glory, he caused altars and temples to be erected, and sacrifices to be offered to himself, as a god. Such was his cruelty, that he expressed the wish, "that all the Roman people had but one neck, that he might despatch them at a single blow."

15. On the return of Paul from Arabia to Damascus, the persecution not yet having entirely ceased, the Jews took counsel to kill him, and with difficulty did he escape. Repairing to Jerusalem, he attempted to join himself to the disciples; but they, doubting the sincerity of his professions, refused to receive him, until Barnabas assured them of his conversion, when he was welcomed with great cordiality.

16. About the time of the death of Caligula A. D. 41, and the accession of his successor Claudius, the persecution of the Christians, in a considerable degree, abated; "Then," according to the sacred historian, "the churches had rest throughout all Judea, Galilee and Samaria, and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, were edified and multiplied."

17. The Church at Jerusalem had now been planted nearly eight years, during which time the preaching of the Gospel had been restricted to Jews. But now Peter was instructed by a vision, that the Gentiles also were to enjoy this privilege, and was directed to open the way for this change, by going to Cesarea, and preaching the Gospel to a Gentile, by the name of Cornelius.

That the privileges of the Gospel should be extended to the Gentiles, seems scarcely, if at all, to have been anticipated even by the apostles. The Jewish converts, as a body, still retained many of their former prejudices, which could be removed only by a divine interposition. On the return of Peter to Jerusalem, he was censured by some for having preached to a Gentile. But he so explained his conduct in going to Cornelius, (informing them of what God had wrought in the family of this man by his preaching,) as to silence their scruples, for "they held their peace, and

glorified God, saying, then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life."

18. The way being thus prepared to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles, Paul, who had received a commission to execute his ministry among them, repaired to Antioch, the metropolis of Syria, A. D. 43, where, soon after, was gathered the first Gentile Church, and where the followers of Christ first received the appropriate name of Christians.

19. Although the persecution which had existed in the time of Caligula had generally ceased, there were exceptions. For, about this time, Herod Agrippa, king of Judea, to please the Jews, put the Apostle James, the son of Zebedee, to death; and would have followed his death by the martyrdom of Peter, had he not been miraculously delivered from his hand,

This Herod Agrippa, was the grandson of Herod the Great, (Introduction, Sec. 12,) and nephew to Herod the Tetrarch, who put to death John the Baptist. Herod Agrippa had incurred the displeasure of Tiberius, by whose order he was put in chains and thrown into prison. The displeasure of Tiberius arose from a speech of Herod, which he made to Caius Caligula, one day, as they were riding in a chariot together, viz.; "that he wished to God that Tiberius were gone, and that Caius were emperor in his stead." Euthychus, who drove the chariot, overheard the words, but concealed his knowledge of them at the moment. Sometime after, however, being accused by Herod, his master, of theft, he informed Tiberius of what Herod had said, upon which the latter was arrested and confined for life.

On the death of Tiberius, Caligula not only liberated his old friend, but invited him to his palace, put a crown upon his head, and constituted him king of the tetrarchy of Philip, and bestowed on him a chain of gold, of the same weight as the iron one, which he had worn during his imprison

ment.

Such were the circumstances which elevated to the throne the man, who murdered James, and whose efforts to bring to a similar fate the apostle Peter, are recorded in the 12th chapter of the Acts of the Apostles. Herod did not long survive this attempt to kill an apostle of Christ. On an occasion of receiving the submission of the cities of Tyre and Sidon, which had incurred his displeasure, he appeared in the theatre for that purpose, arrayed in the most gorgeous apparel. To the ambassadors he made an oration, at the close of which the multitude resounded from every quarter, "It is the voice of a god, and not of a man." This filled his foolish heart with pride, and led him to arrogate that glory to himself, which belonged to God. But in the midst of receiving these idolatrous acclamations, he was seized with excruciating pains; "worms bred in his putrified flesh, and devoured him alive." After suffering tortures the most tormenting for five days, he died, an awful instance of pride and impiety.