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 t" and afterwards, in the course of this very progrefs, he is reprefented as "making many difciples" at Derbe, a principal city in the fame diftrict. Three years after this, which brings us to fixteen after the afcenfion, the apoftles wrote a public letter from Jerufalem to the Gentile converts in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia, with which letter Paul travelled through these countries, and found the churches "eftablished in the faith, and increafing in number daily §." From Afia the apostle proceeded into Greece, where, foon after his arrival in Macedonia, we find him at Thef falonica; in which city "fome of the Jews believed, and of the devout Greeks a great multitude." We meet alfo here with an accidental hint of the general progress of the Christian miffion, in the exclamation of the tumultuous Jews of Theffalonica, "that they, who had turned the world upfide down, were come thither alfo *." At Berea, the next city at which St, Paul arrives, the hiftorian, who was prefent, informs us that many of the Jews believed t." The next year and half of St. Paul's ministry was spent at Corinth. Of his fuccefs in that city we receive the following intimations: "that many of the Corinthians believed and were baptifed," and "that it was revealed to the apostle by Chrift, that he had much people in that city." Within lefs than a year after his departure from Corinth, and twentyfive years after the afcenfion, St. Paul fixed his station at Ephefus, for the space of two years and fomething more. The effect of his ministry in that city and neighbourhood drew from the hiftorian a reflection, "how mightily grew the word of God and * Acts v. 6. + Ib. xvii. 12. § Benfon, b. iii. p. 160, Ib. xviii. 8-10. Acts xix. 10. pre prevailed." And at the conclufion 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 Ephefus, but also throughout all Asia, (į. e. the province of Lydia, and the country adjoining to Ephefus) this Paul hath perfuaded and turned away much people +." Befide thefe accounts, there occurs, incidentally, mention of converts at Rome, Alexandria, Athens, Cyprus, Cyrene, Macedonia, Philippi. This is the third period in the propaga tion of Christianity, fetting off in the feventh year after the afcenfion, and ending at the twenty-eighth. Now, lay thefe three periods together, and obferve how the progrefs of the religion by these accounts is represented. The inftitution, which properly began only after its author's removal from the world, before the end of thirty years had fpread itself through Judea, Ga *Acts xix, 20, + Ib. ver. 26. lilee, and Samaria, almost all the numerous diftricts of the Leffer Afia, through Greece, and the islands of the Egean Sea, the sea coast of Africa, and had extended itself to Rome, and into Italy. At Antioch in Syria, at Joppa, Ephesus, Corinth, Theffalonica, Berea, Iconium, Derbe, Antioch in Pifidia, at Lydda, Saron, the number of converts is intimated by the expreffions" a great number," " great multitudes," "much people." Converts are mentioned, without any defignation of their number*, at Tyre, Cefarea, Troas, Athens, Philippi, Lyftra, Da * Confidering the extreme concifeness of many parts of the hiftory, the filence about the numbers of converts is no proof of their paucity; for at Philippi no mention whatever is made of the number, yet St. Paul addreffed an epistle to that church. The churches of Galatia, and the affairs of those churches, were confiderable enough to be the subject of another letter, and of much of St. Paul's folicitude; yet no account is preferved in the hiftory of his fuccefs, or even of his preaching in that country, except the flight notice which thefe words convey: "When they had gone throughout Phrygia, and the region of Galatia, they effayed to go into Bithynia." Acts xvi. 6. 7 mafcus. mafcus. During all this time, Jerufalem continued not only the centre of the miffion, but a principal feat of the religion; for, when St. Paul returned thither at the conclufion of the period of which we are now confidering the accounts, the other apostles pointed out to him, as a reason for his compli ance with their advice, "how many thoufands (myriads, ten thousands) there were in that city who believed*." Upon this abstract, and the writing from which it is drawn, the following obfervations feem material to be made: I. That the account comes from a perfon, who was himself concerned in a portion of what he relates, and was contemporary with the whole of it; who vifited Jerufalem, and frequented the fociety of thofe who had acted, and were acting, the chief parts in the tranfaction. I lay down this point pofitive *Acts xxi. 20 ly; |
