grapple with the bigotry and restless opposition of the Jew; with the sword. of the magistrate, and the idolatry of the nations; with the craft of the priesthood, and the superstition and ignorance of the populace; with the jealousy of princes, and the selfishness of "shrine makers and workmen of like occupation;" with the love of the fascinating shows, and the licentious festivals. Nor were the speculations of the grove and the academy less adverse to the simplicity of their nar rative, than the vice of the multitude was to the purity of their precepts. Persecuted everywhere too, they saw many of their adherents sacrificed to popular rage, immolated at the shrines of Pagan deities, or lighted as torches to illumine the garden of Nero." Yet they every

where increased. The first sermon preached by St. Peter won three thou

2 Tedâ lucebis in illâ

Quâ stantes ardent qui fixo guttere fumant.

Juvenal, Sat. i. 155,6.

Ausi quod liceat tunicâ punire molestâ.

Sat. viii. 235.

sand to the faith. Soon after this, "the number of them was about five thousand." Then within the space of four years, we read, "the churches had rest throughout all Judea, and Galilee, and Samaria." Added to which the gospel spread through almost all the numerous districts of the lesser Asia, through Greece, and the islands of the Ægæan Sea, the sea coast of Africa, and had extended itself to Rome, and into Italy. At Antioch in Syria, at Joppa, Ephesus, Corinth, Thessalonica, Berea, Iconium, Derbe, Antioch in Pisidia, at Lydda, Saron, the number of converts is intimated by the expressions, "a great number," "great multitudes," "much people." Converts are mentioned, without any designation of their number, at Tyre, Cæsarea, Troas, Athens, Philippi, Lystra, Damascus 3" and finally erected the

3

Paley's Evidences of Christianity, vol ii. ch. ix. In confirmation of which, the testimony of Tacitus, Annal. lib. 15. cap. xliv.; of Pliny the Younger, in his epistle to

Trajan, lib. 10, epis. xcvii. And of Justin Martyr, Tertullian, Clemens Alexandrinus, and Origen, is cited by Paley ut supra.

triumphant banner of the cross on the ruins of the capitol.""

5

The apostles, then, did work miracles. Whence did they derive those powers? Some have attributed them to magic, which, "in the heathen way of speaking, was in the language of the Jews to cast out devils by Beelzebub, the prince of the devils." But in thus attempting to account for them, two things should be observed. First, miracles, it is admitted, were wrought; secondly, they were such as clearly exceeded human power to ef fect. Now supposing (the interposition of unseen agents being admitted) it impossible to ascertain the limits by which they are circumscribed, yet unless the design of such agents can be identified with the design of the gospel, the simple, but forcible argument of our Lord will remain for ever unanswered: "If Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself, how shall then his kingdom stand ?"

4 Gib. Decl. and Fall of the Rom. Emp. chap. xv. initio.

5 Addison's Evid. of the Christ. Relig. sect. ii. 6 Matt. xii. 26.

It is certain, however, "that all these worked that one and the self-same spirit, dividing to every man severally as he willed," for the purpose of demonstrating that "Jesus Christ had God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins."

Nor is it less clear, that the apostles and others produced, by means of their preaching, a change in the sentiments, feelings, and morals of immense multitudes unparalleled in the history of our species.

Still,

For this change various writers have endeavoured to account, and by none, perhaps, with more apparent plausibility than by the elegant author of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. it seems never to have occurred to him that, even supposing the truth of all he alleges, (which yet cannot for a moment. be admitted,) his "secondary causes" totally inadequate; nay, are but effects

7 Chap. xv.

produced by a cause, of course, previously existing, and which may be, in a qualified sense, as he himself had designated it "the ruling providence of its author." If proofs were requisite, it would be easy to institute a comparison between the apostles and our modern missionaries,R and between their respective success. The results would tell most conclusively against him. In one particular instance, indeed, namely, that of miracles, the apostles excelled the latter. But, if even miracles could have changed the disposition of the heart, then would not those who heard the life-giving word of the Son of God, and saw the dead body of Lazarus spring from the grave, have gone away for the purpose of instigating the chief priests and Pharisees to take him. Consequently, it must be attributed, as the sacred writers do attribute it, to the powerful operation of the Holy Spirit;