A circumstance about this time occurred which occasioned the creation of a new office in the Church. The Church embraced both native and foreign Jews. The latter were called Hellenists or Grecians, because they spoke the Greek tongue. These supposed that in the daily supply of the poor, the Apostles had shown a partiality for the widows of the Hebrews; and murmured against them. The Apostles immediately called together the disciples and informed them that seven men of eminent piety must be appointed to superintend that business; while they would confine themselves to prayer and preaching. Their advice was followed, and Stephen, Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolas, were appointed, and ordained to the office of deacon, by prayer and the imposition of hands.

These men were bold and strong in the faith of Christ. Stephen especially, was empowered to work miracles, and to resist and overcome all opposition, which was made by disputers against the Gospel. His ability and success excited the malice of the wicked; and they suborned men to accuse him of blasphemy. Upon being called to answer the charge, he boldly rebuked the Jews, by giving a history of their nation and showing that, in betraying and murdering Christ they had but imitated the conduct of their fathers, who treated Moses and the Prophets with contempt. They were cut to the heart and gnashed on him with the teeth." But he "full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly to heaven, and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God." Of this, he made full confession. It filled his enemies with madness, and they cast him out of the city and stoned him to death. With his expiring breath, he commended his soul to God; like his divine master, prayed for his murderers, and FELL ASLEEP. Thus died the first Christian Martyr, full of faith and hope ; and favoured with clear views of his Redeemer. He was buried by the Church with great lamentation; but his spirit had ascended to glory.

Blood had now been shed; and it was the signal of a tremendous persecution of the followers of Jesus. They were unable to stand before it, and fled from Jerusalem to the surrounding country. But they were not deterred from preaching the Gospel. On the contrary, they were excited to greater boldness; and, wherever they went, they proclaimed Christ and the resurrection. Philip, the next to Stephen in faith and zeal and who was also a preacher, carried the Gospel to the Samaritans, and instructed and baptized an Eunuch of the queen of Ethiopia,

whom he met in the way, returning from Jerusalem, where he had been to worship. Others travelled as far as Phenice, Cyprus and Antioch, preaching to Jews only; but by their labours, many converts were made and many churches were established. Thus was the blood of the martyrs the seed of the Church. The disciples were driven from Jerusalem, that they might dif fuse the Gospel through the earth.

Among the bitter persecutors of the followers of the Redeemer was one, whose life and actions form a most interesting portion of the history of the Church. This was Saul of Tarsus. His parents were Jews, who resided in that city. According to the custom of the Jews, with whom it was a leading maxim, "He who teaches not his son a trade, teaches him to be a thief," he was early taught a particular trade,-tent-making. He was next sent to Jerusalem and placed under the instruction of Gamaliel, the most eminent doctor of the age, that he might become thoroughly acquainted with the Jewish law. He was a youth of noble endowments, of commanding eloquence; in religion, of the straitest sect of the Pharisees; in temper, proud, active, fiery, not able to brook opposition, and feeling it to be doing God service to crush every new, and, what appeared to him heretical sentiment. He was one therefore, in whom meek-eyed Christianity, as she advanced with her claims to the homage of men, might expect to find a most malignant foe. As a signal of this, we first behold him at the bitter persecution of the martyr Stephen, consenting unto his death.

With a furious zeal, he soon raged, searching out the Christians; beating them in the synagogues, and either compelling them to disown Christ, or causing them to be put to death. Having done all that infuriate malice could do in Jerusalem, he obtained a warrant from the High Priest to go to Damascus, whither some Christians had retired, and bring all whom he found there to Jerusalem. How terrible is the native enmity of the human heart to the gospel of Christ! How insatiable is an unhallowed and misguided zeal! Had the violent persecutor been suffered to proceed, what awful ravages would he have made of Christ's little flock! But the wolf was to be changed into the lamb. God had separated him, not to die by a thunderbolt of his wrath, but to preach that very gospel which he had persecuted. And this was the moment which divine wisdom chose for the exhibition of grace. As he was on his way, suddenly a beam of light, far outshining the splendour of the sun, darted upon him from heaven, and a voice addressed him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest theu me! The raging persecutor fell to

the earth, crying, Who art thou, Lord? With a majesty which will make all sinners tremble in the judgment, the Lord said, “I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks." At a sight of the terribleness and compassion of the Saviour, his heart relented, and he inquired with earnestness, and a readiness to serve him for ever, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?

Thus, not through the power of a miracle, for the bare witness of a miracle will never change the heart, but through the power of the Holy Ghost, the miraculous appearance and address of the Saviour became instrumental of effecting a complete change in bitter Saul. And a change, how great! In his self-righteousness he had thought himself one of the best of men, but now, he saw that he was the chief of sinners, The law of God was brought home to his conscience, and he died. All hope of salvation from his own merit, was entirely at an end; and he fled to Christ, seeking pardon through his blood, and consecrating himself wholly to his service.

By his terrified companions he was led into Damascus, for he was struck with blindness. In that city dwelt Ananias, a devout Christian, and probably one of the seventy, whom the Lord directed, that the ministry might be honoured, to go and instruct Saul in the great business to which he was called. Amazement filled his breast, as the commission sounded in his ears. He well knew the character of the man. He dreaded the wolf in sheep's clothing. Could the Lord be deceived? Momentary expostulation, he would venture. "Lord. I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem, and here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call upon thy name." But one word from the Saviour silenced his fears, and commanded his confidence, and he went straightway to the anxious inquirer, with the friendly salutation, Brother Saul! assuring him that the Lord had sent him, that, by him, he might receive his sight and be filled with the Holy Ghost. At the touch of Ananias, scales fell from his eyes; his mind was calm and joyful; he professed his confidence in his Saviour; was baptized, and immediately preached Christ in the synagogues.

What emotions must have been excited by this man's preaching! Here were the saints, who, but a week before, were trembling at his approach, as lambs before the hungry wolf. There were the Jews, who had anticipated the hour of his coming, as the hour of triumph over men, whom of all others, they most hated. What an assembly! Were a company of In

fidels collected to hear Christianity reviled, by some Hume, or Voltaire, or Paine, and a number of the followers of Christ doomed to sit and hear their ribaldry and abuse, when suddenly the oracle of infidelity should become the advocate of truth, and address himself with awful solemnity to the hearts and consciences of his former companions, and warn them to flee from the wrath to come; what shame! what confusion! what gnashing of teeth would there be among them! And what holy triumph would sit on the countenances of the wondering saints! It would give but a faint idea of this assembly. Here was slaughter and death expected by some. and a gratification of the most malignant passions by others;-all suddenly checked and turned away. The result was such as might be expected. The triumph of the saints could not be borne. Such a man could not be suffered to live. Enraged at Saul, for so suddenly quitting their ranks and becoming the advocate of Christianity; confounded by the weight of his arguments, and dreading the effects of his conversion; the Jews determined to kill him, and closed against him the gates of the city. But his friends let him down in a basket from the window of a house built on the wall, and he escaped into Arabia. How long he continued in that region is unknown, but from thence he returned to Damascus; and it was three years before he went up to Jerusalem to visit the disciples. When he did go there, they were afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple, (an evidence either of very little intercourse among the early Christians, or of great seclusion on the part of Saul.) But Barnabas related unto them the circumstances of his conversion, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus, so that they gave him the hand of fellowship. At Jerusalem he became an active and bold minister of the Lord Jesus. Here, while praying in the Temple, he went into a trance, was caught up into the third heaven, and heard things which might not be uttered. Here again the Jews attempted to kill him. But he was preserved through the vigilance of his friends, who sent him to Tarsus.

The conversion of Saul took place in the second year after the death of Christ. It was a very instructive event. It showed to the world that a man may be greatly engaged in the concerns of religion; be the strictest formalist; think that he does God service, and have an undoubting assurance of his own salvation, and be a total stranger to vital piety. It was an illustrious exhibition of the sovereignty of God, who has mercy on whom he will have mercy, and who employs, if he pleases, those who have been his greatest adversaries, in the most honorable

post in his kingdom. And it was an incontestible evidence of the truth of Christianity.* Let the unawakened sinner and the formal Pharisee, contemplate the state of Saul before his conversion, and remember it is their own.

CHAPTER III.

The Gospel preached to the Gentiles. Cornelius and his family baptized. Martyrdom of James. Revival at Antioch. Saul and Barnabas ordained Missionaries to the Heathen. MinisIts

try of Paul. Constitution of the Christian Church. early moral and religious state. Character of the Apostles' preaching. Writers of the New Testament. Firm establishment of the kingdom of Christ. Opposition of the Jews. God's judgment upon them. Destruction of Jerusalem. Dispersion of the Jews. Opposition of the Roman Emperors Nero and Domitian. Martyrdom of Paul and Peter. Early here

sies.

THE Conversion and early labours of Saul, formed another era in the Christian Church. The enemies of Christianity, forsaken by their leader, and convinced or silenced by his powerful preach-p ing, retired from the field of persecution; great numbers were added to the Lord; the churches every where had rest, and were edified; "walking in the fear of the Lord, and the comforts of the Holy Ghost."

For a period of about six years after the ascension of Christ, the Apostles continued to preach the gospel to the Jews only, wherever they could find them throughout the Roman empire. But in general they rejected it, and bitterly opposed and persecuted all who proclaimed it. The Lord therefore directed the Apostles to turn their attention to the Gentiles.

The Gentiles were abhorred by the Jews. They were viewed by them as hated of God and devoted to destruction. The Apostles were possessed of this common prejudice. They would never, therefore, of themselves, have offered so great a blessing as salvation to the heathen; and if some, from any motive should have done it, they would at once have been viewed guilty of sacrilege. But the great Shepherd, who had other sheep besides

* See Lyttleton's Conversion of Paul.